Neuro-Ubuntu Maʽat Ethics for Neuro-AI Governance in Africa

Title
Neuro-Ubuntu Maʽat Ethics for Neuro-AI Governance in Africa
Publication Date
2026-05-15
Author(s)
Musole, Edward
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6670-3078
Email: emusole@myune.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:emusole
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
BESRA AcadEx u g
Place of publication
Germany
DOI
10.59857/mp49zh15
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/73629
Abstract

This article develops a normative framework for governing neuro-AI in African business and policy contexts. Drawing on a structured literature review of neuroethics, neural data governance, neurorights, and African philosophy, the article argues that prevailing regulatory approaches remain insufficient for many African settings because they rely predominantly on individualist models of autonomy and consent. In response, the article proposes Neuro-Ubuntu Maʽat (NUM) Ethics, a synthetic framework integrating Ubuntu, Maʽat, and broader traditions of African ethical thought. The framework is organised around five principles—mind-dignity, relational personhood, Maʽatian balance, character-centred governance, and communal responsibility—and translated into governance mechanisms relevant to firms, regulators, and civil society. The article also develops the concept of cognitive extractivism to describe the extraction, commodification, and monetisation of neural data without adequate protections for dignity, mental privacy, or fair benefit-sharing. The article contributes to business ethics and technology governance by articulating an African-centred approach to neurotechnology regulation that is philosophically grounded, comparatively situated, and institutionally actionable.

Link
Citation
International Journal of Advanced Business Studies, 5(3), p. 104-126
ISSN
2940-2735
Start page
104
End page
126
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International

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