Clouds, Colonies and Code: Power, Politics and Human Costs of the AI Revolution

Cloud computing underpins the AI revolution, but its physical infrastructure, corporate ownership and human costs often remain invisible. In this talk, Dr. Dinkar Sitaram examines how data centres, electricity, water and human labour sustain digital services and AI systems. He explores the concentration of power among cloud providers, the harvesting of personal data, labour conditions in AI content moderation and India's efforts to assert greater control over its digital infrastructure. Drawing on examples including India's regulatory action against Mastercard and the experiences of content moderators in Kenya, the session asks whether the rules governing the digital economy can be rewritten. Entry is free on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to RSVP and seat availability.