The Moral Lighthouse: AI, Intelligent Automation, and the World We Choose
Artificial intelligence and intelligent automation must serve as tools to build the world we want—not as instruments for a powerful few to impose their vision of profit and control. In an era where industrial automation and AI-driven systems reshape economies and societies at breakneck speed, the risk of prioritizing efficiency over human dignity has never been greater. Too often, the architects of this transformation are wealthy, predominantly white male billionaires who view automation equipment and AI through the lens of market dominance, not collective flourishing.
Cultural Wisdom as a Compass in the Age of Automation
Working across the Global South, I’ve witnessed how Western models of intelligent automation often erase local cultures and values. This is why collaborations like Malaysia’s National AI Office feel so urgent: their focus on kesejahteraan—a concept of holistic well-being rooted in pluralism—offers a moral alternative to the “growth at all costs” mindset dominating industrial automation discourse. Unlike the narrow profit-driven logic of Silicon Valley, kesejahteraan demands that AI and automation equipment serve justice, equity, and human dignity as ends in themselves.
This aligns with other ancient frameworks: ubuntu in Africa (human interconnectedness), Māori kaitiakitanga (guardianship) in Aotearoa New Zealand, and the Haudenosaunee Seventh Generation Principle. These are not abstract ideals—they are actionable moral compasses for governing AI and intelligent automation. For instance, when Aotearoa integrates whakapapa (relationality) into data governance, it rejects the dehumanizing “data as raw material” mindset prevalent in industrial automation, instead treating information as a stewardship responsibility.
Beyond the Illusion of “Balancing” Innovation and Ethics
The mantra of “balancing innovation and regulation” in AI policy is a dangerous myth—especially when automation equipment and AI systems are designed to prioritize scale over humanity. As social media’s collapse of civic trust showed, unregulated market-driven tech can inflict irreversible harm. Markets optimize for profit, not justice; left unchecked, intelligent automation will replicate this failure, deepening bias in hiring algorithms, entrenching surveillance, and eroding democratic norms.
This is why we need a moral lighthouse—not after harm is done, but before. Indigenous and cultural values provide this clarity: technologies like automation equipment must be judged not by speed or efficiency, but by whether they elevate human dignity. As Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim insists, “Progress without human dignity is not progress.”
The Peril of Market Fundamentalism in Automation
Silicon Valley’s gospel of “move fast and break things” has turned intelligent automation into a tool for extraction, not empowerment. Take DOGE’s proposed surveillance systems or Trump’s AI deregulation: these prioritize profit and power over accountability, treating automation equipment as weapons of control rather than tools for collective good. Meanwhile, Congressional inaction and corporate capture of AI policy create a moral vacuum, where “innovation” becomes a euphemism for unchecked greed.
This isn’t just a regulatory failure—it’s a surrender to market idolatry. As economist Daron Acemoglu reminds us, the direction of technology is not predetermined. We can choose to steer intelligent automation toward justice, as New Zealand does by embedding Māori values in data ethics, or as France does through citizen-led digital governance. These models prove that industrial automation and AI can be aligned with moral purpose—if we dare to prioritize humanity over profit.
Closing: Lighting the Path Forward
The question of AI and intelligent automation is ultimately a question of power: who gets to define progress, and at whose expense? The Global Majority’s cultural traditions offer a resounding answer: progress must be measured by kesejahteraan, ubuntu, and kotahitanga—not by GDP or billionaire egos.
As we navigate this age of automation equipment and AI-driven change, let us reject the false choice between innovation and ethics. The moral lighthouse is already here, illuminated by the wisdom of ancestors who understood that technology is not destiny—it is a tool. And like any tool, its impact depends on who wields it, and for what purpose.
The world we want is not one where intelligent automation replaces human judgment, but one where it amplifies our capacity for justice, compassion, and shared flourishing. To build it, we must let our moral compasses lead—not the algorithms of the powerful few.
