Race and Robotics: Black Theology in the Digital Age

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has been pedestalized as the greatest leap of human intellect. 4IR does not hide the serious destruction to traditional approaches to the sciences (theoretical and applied), technology, economics, politics, and human psychology. The rise of robotics change of the workplace, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and the change in human beings seem extremely noble and worthy of celebration. However, the greatest neglect in this “great” leap is that of human beings who for centuries have remained engulfed in a contestation and defense of their humanity by the same superpowers that are holding countries and continents at gunpoint—convert or die! The Third World becomes subservient to the dominant change in societies. Issues of politics, the land question, the centuries of the exploitation of resources, and the debt owed to the oppressed and absolute destruction of worldviews, which have evolved over millennia’s are expected to change and be forgotten. In short, the 4IR despite the language of technology and science often presented by geeks is extremely political. This paper seeks to argue that the projection of (white) human “intellect” has and continues to ignore the humanity and intelligence of blacks/oppressed. They rather favor artificial intelligence and robotics than correct the previously disembodiment of the oppressed, ontologically, politically, cultural, and physiologically. 4IR is a prerogative of “superpowers” meant to replace the oppressed and continues the project of the rulers of the world. The paper seeks to point out the nuances of 4IR, however, reflecting 4IR political implication for the oppressed who are the majority in the world.