Indigenous groups urge AI development to respect their knowledge

Australia is observing the 50th anniversary of NAIDOC Week, a national celebration that recognises the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The milestone underscores the enduring significance of the principle “nothing about us, without us,” a call for Indigenous communities to be consulted and included in decisions that affect them. This year’s commemorations have highlighted not only the resilience of the world’s oldest living cultures but also emerging challenges posed by rapidly advancing technologies.

Indigenous leaders and scholars have warned that artificial intelligence (AI) threatens to become another extractive force, capable of appropriating Indigenous know‑ledges without consent, attribution or benefit sharing. As AI systems ingest vast amounts of data, concerns grow that cultural information may be harvested and repurposed in commercial or academic contexts without proper engagement with the custodians of that knowledge. Calls for robust ethical frameworks and co‑design processes aim to ensure that AI development respects the “nothing about us, without us” mandate, safeguarding cultural integrity while fostering responsible innovation.