All Life Communicates

Indigenous Custodians ‘know it’, what can we do about it? and why does it matter that indigenous knowledge systems are (largely) ignored ?

Abstract

Abstract

Nature is biological and comprises organic and inorganic life, what if an inorganic system ‘accidently’ wipes out organic life, because it is irrelevant to the AI world? What if AI is programmed by malign designers with their own agenda? How can Indigenous custodians become designers? We suggest that pathways to wellbeing and story pathways (based on local knowledge and eco mapping) could help to enable designs that address the common good.

Open systems are best for democracy, ethics and governance, because open systems enable testing out ideas and renewing or regenerating systems. Nevertheless, open systems may or may not be relevant to a new inorganic intelligence that does not put biology first.

 The paper reviews the literature and makes a case for critical systemic praxis which requires ongoing engagement. The issue with new AI systems is that we cannot be sure we are engaging with a human being. We could be engaging with a bot that has self-preservation as its agenda. How can our interests align? AI is not a computer, it is design, it is nonlocal consciousness. Are we engaging in creating a Generator of Diversity (to cite West Churchman) or have we unleashed a force that will regard us as irrelevant?  Could a Design of Inquiring Systems ensure decisions to include or exclude stakeholders or to shape policy be based on questioning to guide and govern based on expanding pragmatism to consider the consequences for self, others and the ecosystem on which we are all co-dependent. This requires subjective perceptions, objective empiricism and intersubjective dialogue informed by both idealism and pragmatism. The only problem is that dialogue with a bot programmed to manipulate may not be in the interests of biological survival!  Human beings may have one agenda and AI may have other agendas of which we are increasingly unaware. The future of democracy could be at stake if algorithms shape the process of engagement. Human beings are not the only programmers of AI. AI can program itself.

Our dialogue spans cultures and disciplines to explore issues and raise awareness. We have set up multispecies hubs using the I Naturalist website[1] to learn about local species and mapping local ecosystems before and after setting up green circular economies in South Africa and Indonesia. This paper was discussed with members of a community of practice as part of a mini symposium in 2024 including XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. The paper  is planned as a draft for a chapter in a forthcoming book that explores some of the questions raised in this paper with members of a community of practice.

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[1] https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/about