AI and Indigenous Peoples, Lands and Waters

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the human and other than-human world. Indigenous Peoples, lands and waters are not immune to the disruptions of AI with, the shape and impact of these only beginning to be understood. Identified affects include the largescale unauthorised scraping and appropriation of Indigenous data and traditional and ecological knowledges, the renewed usurpation of Indigenous lands for their critical AI related minerals and the targeting of Indigenous territories, waters and resources to support AI infrastructure. Other AI related impacts are still emerging, that, cumulatively and separately, pose substantial threats to the Indigenous lifeworld. Conversely, Indigenous Peoples are utilising AI driven tools to deliver lifeworld benefits. AI’s capacity to support language and cultural revitalization in ways not previously available are increasingly utilised. Care and stewardship obligations of lands, waters and resources are also increasingly benefitting from engagement with AI technologies. This session aims to support the growing sociological examination of the Indigenous dimensions of AI. Papers that explore elements of how AI is directly impacting Indigenous Peoples, lands and waters, theoretically and empirically are invited, alongside papers that explore how Indigenous Peoples might better protect the sovereignty of their lands, waters, knowledges and resources, while also reaping the potential benefits of AI.