Using Digital Technologies for Indigenous Sociocultural Advancement in an Era of AI: A Systematic Critical Synthesis

Abstract

Indigenous cultural resurgence parallels generative AI emergence. This article synthesizes digital technology projects for Indigenous sociocultural advancement. It analyzes 69 studies in five continents through a bifocal critical apparatus. The first lens uses activity theory to explore project ecologies comprised of peoples, objectives, places, technologies, and tensions. The second lens reveals ideopolitical framing patterns as studies are strategically positioned at the interface of Euro-Western and Indigenous cultures. Eight project types, developed by and for Indigenous peoples, are identified. Although consumer technologies predominate, many complex IT assemblages are attested. However, technological complexity often requires "outsider"experts, which limits local control over processes, data, and outcomes. The sampled studies highlight three ideopolitical frames: cultural bridging, countering Euro-Western dominance, and technical problem-solving. The foregrounded political themes are digital empowerment, data sovereignty, identity expression, and online activism. This study critically organizes underexplored research and charts new pathways for exploring digital technologies, culture, and Indigeneity.