Sustainable AI meets feminist African ethics

Abstract This paper explores the intersection of Sustainable Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Feminist African Ethics (FAE), particularly focusing on the environmental and social justice issues surrounding AI development, deployment, and disposal. While AI ethics increasingly addresses concerns such as carbon emissions, e-waste, and the material lifecycle of AI, the paper highlights how these challenges disproportionately impact African women. It critiques the exclusion of African ethical narratives from global AI discussions and advocates for the integration of Feminist African Ethics, which centers on the lived experiences of African women. Drawing on Ubuntu ethics and feminist critiques, the paper emphasizes how patriarchal structures marginalize women, feminize care duties, and subordinate caregiving roles, exacerbating the effects of climate change, resource extraction, and e-waste disposal. The analysis underscores the heightened burden on African women in terms of livelihood disruptions, health risks, and increased unpaid labor. Finally, the paper calls for gender-inclusive AI policies, affirmative action measures, and community-driven interventions to promote equity and sustainability in AI ethics. By situating African women’s voices at the core of these discussions, the paper offers a transformative framework for addressing the environmental and social injustices associated with AI.