Constituting Human–AI Research Partnerships: A Human-Governed AI4D Framework for Constitutional Governance, Cultural Sovereignty, and Creative Justice

This conceptual working paper introduces HARP-AI (Human–AI Research Partnerships), a human-governed framework for integrating artificial intelligence into scholarly research, education, creative production, and AI for Development (AI4D). Grounded in the Personal AI Constitution developed by Professor Moustapha Diack, the framework establishes human authority, critical thinking, verification, transparency, justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, cultural sovereignty, and creative economic justice as governing principles for human–AI collaboration. The paper distinguishes AI research collaborators from creative production tools, distribution platforms, and research documentation instruments. It proposes a governance and evaluation framework for assessing AI systems while maintaining nondelegable human responsibility for research integrity, ethical judgment, cultural representation, and scholarly publication. BAMBUGARE AI Music Studio serves as an illustrative case of AI-assisted cultural production linking Senegalese and Louisiana musical heritage. The discussion examines fictional virtual artists, memorial naming, synthetic identity, creative provenance, intellectual property, and equitable cultural participation. The paper also outlines a prospective research agenda for investigating the educational, cultural, and developmental implications of human-governed AI ecosystems, particularly in historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Senegal, and Francophone Africa. As a conceptual contribution, the paper does not claim empirical validation of the proposed framework. It offers a foundation for future research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and responsible AI4D practice.