From Colonialism to Algorithms: AI and Technology as Instruments of Neocolonialism

This paper tries to examine the intersection of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) as instruments of neocolonialism and exploring how they perpetuate global inequalities and new forms of economic dominance. By analysing Yanis Varoufakis work Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism, the study examines the concentration of technological power in the hands of a few global corporations, which leverage AI to control data, labour, and resources in both developed and developing countries. It argues that AI-driven technologies reinforce similar dependence which echoes the colonial exploitation patterns to the third world or developing countries, while also creating new digital divides. The paper will discuss how these dynamics shape contemporary geopolitics, labour relations, and social hierarchies, offering a critical lens on AI's role in reshaping global power structures within a neocolonial framework.