Satyagraha and Ubuntu in the Age of AI: Gandhian and Mandela’s Principles of Non-Violence as a Foundation for Ethical AI and Responsible Digital Governance

The rapid proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies has raised urgent questions about ethics, accountability, and human dignity in governance frameworks worldwide. While technical and regulatory approaches to AI ethics dominate current discourse, this paper argues that enduring philosophical traditions rooted in non-violence offer an underexplored yet valuable foundation for responsible digital governance. This study undertakes a comparative analysis of Mahatma Gandhi's principle of Satyagraha (truth-force) and Nelson Mandela's philosophy of Ubuntu (shared humanity and interconnectedness), examining how these frameworks of non-violent resistance, reconciliation, and moral restraint can inform contemporary debates on ethical AI and data governance. Gandhi's emphasis on truth, transparency, and non-harm (Ahimsa) resonates with growing demands for algorithmic accountability, explainability, and the prevention of AI-driven harm to individuals and communities. Similarly, Mandela's Ubuntu philosophy—