Suing AI companies for loss of cultural values
I am a heavy user of AI tools but find it very intriguing and annoying that these AI tools have zero connectivity to my Tanzanian culture. Everything is about the developed world. From recipes to medicine. Infact it undermines other cultures. Can I sue these AI companies for brainwashing us? If we are not careful in Tanzania, hardly any of our culture will be present in the next 20 years, which will be disastrous. We might be a poor country, but our culture is warm, friendly, welcoming and admired around the world. Even if we have little food on our plate, we welcome people to join eat with us. That is different elsewhere. I am serious about suing. I think you are a good law firm and can find me a cause of action as I want to act fast. Guide me.
QH, Morogoro
Thank you for admiring us at FB Attorneys. Your message has been passed around the law firm and made everyone very happy. However, our answer will disappoint you, and hopefully doesn’t change your opinion about us!
Our laws as they are now, especially considering AI tools are ubiquitous, do not provide for relevant local content. We need to develop our own AI tools and responses to be able to achieve what you want to achieve. You have made excellent and very valid points. Infact AI responses, if not properly filtered, may dilute cultures.
That does not mean your concern is misplaced. AI systems learn largely from the information and data available to them. If Tanzanian history, customs, languages, food, values and ways of life are poorly represented in that data, AI responses may inevitably reflect that imbalance. Over time, excessive reliance on such answers without questioning them could indeed have an impact on local culture.
There are Tanzanian laws that may apply where AI causes a specific legal wrong—for example involving personal data, unlawful content or some identifiable injury—but “erosion of culture” by itself would presently be a difficult cause of action.
The bigger solution may therefore be closer to home: Tanzania needs to contribute more local knowledge and data to the digital world and ultimately develop or customise AI systems that understand our own context.
Most importantly, AI should remain a tool, not an unquestioned authority. It can be extremely useful, but its answers are not always correct, culturally appropriate or suitable for Tanzania. Perhaps the better case to pursue for now is not in Court, but in the national debate on how Tanzania develops and regulates AI.
