Graduation Year

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies

Major Professor

Steven C. Roach, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Stephen P. Turner, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Peter Funke, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Manu Samnotra, Ph.D.

Keywords

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Data Governance, Digital Coloniality, Digital Sovereignty, Digital Autonomy

Abstract

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), and digitization have pushed digital sovereignty to the top of the governance agenda in the 21st century. This notion is expanded upon in this work through seven chapters encompassing theoretical underpinnings, methodological frameworks, and real-world case studies. It shows how multinational corporations dominate digital coloniality, and how the merge of physical and digital reality or eversion poses challenges. The study compares contrasting governance approaches, such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), geared to ethical AI and data protection, versus BRICS nations’ stance on data localization and control. In the work, philosophical perspectives like Heidegger’s critique of technology or postcolonial insights are used to illuminate the sociopolitical dimensions of digital sovereignty, and in doing so, the conceptualization and effects of surveillance and monopolistic organizing are explored. Research for this thesis highlights the need for global collaboration, ethical governance, and fair technological frameworks to combat questions of autonomy, dependency, and digital inequity. Based on examples from industries and nations, the lessons learned lay out the imperative need to strike a balance between innovation and sovereignty of critical importance to enable the openness and transparency of broad participation. Ultimately, this research shows that a sustainable and ethical technological future is possible by having a resilient, decentralized digital ecosystem to secure a global digital landscape where equity and control coalesce.

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