“Humanity has never produced so much knowledge, never possessed so much technology. Yet, it has never seemed so disoriented.” For Professor Penda Mbow, speaking on iRadio’s “Sunday Jury,” “this contradiction lies at the heart of the contemporary crisis. Artificial intelligence, the symbol of triumphant modernity, embodies both the promise of progress and the risk of a major loss of control.” According to Mbow, “the problem is not that humanity despises its knowledge, but that it no longer controls it. Humanity has amassed colossal amounts of scientific and technical knowledge, without always equipping itself with the moral and political safeguards necessary for its use.”

 

Artificial intelligence perfectly illustrates this drift. Capable of unprecedented feats, it simultaneously raises the fundamental question of human sovereignty over machines, according to the historian. She adds that "from the moment a tool escapes its creator, progress transforms into a threat." For her, the danger is not hypothetical. If AI is no longer controlled by humans, it could turn against human intelligence itself. Automated decisions, information manipulation, cognitive dependence: humanity risks delegating its capacity for judgment to systems it no longer fully understands. "This loss of technological control is part of a broader crisis: the crisis of meaning. Knowledge is progressing faster than the ethical, political, and social reflection that should accompany it."

 

America facing its own contradiction

 

Penda Mbow highlights a major historical irony. The United States built itself as a knowledge powerhouse by welcoming researchers, intellectuals, and scientists, particularly after World War II. It was these minds, coming from Europe, that made America a global center of innovation.

Yet today, this same America is attacking its universities, cutting research funding, and distrusting intellectuals. By weakening its own centers of knowledge production, it is undermining the very foundation of its technological power. “China and other emerging powers have been able to capitalize on Western technology transfers. In just a few decades, they have caught up with, or even surpassed, some historically dominant countries. For Penda Mbow, this shift is irreversible. The West is now discovering that knowledge, once disseminated, cannot be reclaimed. This realization is fueling tensions, the temptation to retreat, and strategies for authoritarian control of technologies,” explains the guest.

 

Beyond AI, the professor poses a crucial question: “What becomes of humanity when technology advances without a human project? Without a collective vision, without democratic control, technology can exacerbate dehumanization, reinforce inequalities, and worsen violence.” For Penda Mbow, the real urgency is therefore not technological, but political and ethical. It is about regaining control of knowledge, putting it back at the service of humanity and not domination.