TECHNOLOGY AND THE CRISIS OF HUMAN SACREDNESS: AN IGBO METAPHYSICAL CRITIQUE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ETHICS

Abstract

The article examines how the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has created a profound crisis concerning the sacredness, dignity, and identity of human life. It argues that mainstream AI ethics, largely shaped by Western liberal and techno-scientific frameworks, tends to prioritize efficiency, autonomy, and innovation while overlooking deeper metaphysical and spiritual dimensions of human existence. Using Igbo metaphysics as its interpretive lens, the study employs hermeneutical, phenomenological, and critical-analytic methods to explore how AI technologies, such as algorithmic governance, autonomous systems, and digital surveillance, affect the understanding of personhood. Within Igbo ontology, human life is sacred because it originates from Chukwu and exists within a network that includes the spiritual realm, ancestors, community, and moral responsibility. Consequently, the human person cannot be reduced to mere data or computational processes. The paper contends that dominant AI ethical models are inadequate because they are rooted in reductionist assumptions that ignore relationality and spirituality. It warns that unchecked AI development may lead to dehumanization, digital colonialism, surveillance capitalism, and moral dislocation. In response, the article proposes that Igbo metaphysical concepts, such as chi, mmadu, and communal personhood offer a richer ethical framework. It concludes by advocating for an African-centered approach to AI governance that prioritizes human sacredness, relational existence, and the preservation of human dignity in the age of intelligent machines. Ultimately, the study contributes to the decolonization of AI ethics and expands contemporary discussions on human dignity in the age of intelligent machines.