Rewriting Resistance: AI, Necropolitics, and the Postcolonial Counter-Narrative

Abstract

This study explores the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and postcolonial resistance fiction, focusing on how AI tools like ChatGPT can create speculative fiction that critiques necropolitical governance—a concept introduced by Mbembe (2003) to describe the state's control over life and death—particularly in the context of contemporary Pakistan. Through collaborative writing experiments, the research investigates how AI can contribute to crafting counter-narratives that challenge state violence and historical erasure. It also delves into the political, creative, and ethical implications of using AI in decolonial literary art. By comparing AI-generated speculative fiction with human-authored works like The Prisoner by Omer Shahid Hamid, the study evaluates AI’s ability to portray themes of dissent, memory, and resistance. Preliminary findings reveal that while AI can produce narratives structurally aligned with resistance literature, it often lacks the historical depth, contextual nuance, and lived experience crucial to postcolonial critique. However, AI’s capacity to blend historical and speculative elements opens new possibilities for imagining resistance. The study emphasizes the importance of critically engaging with AI in literature, ensuring its use does not reinforce dominant ideologies but instead amplifies marginalized voices through interdisciplinary collaboration. This research contributes to ongoing discussions about the role of technology in emancipatory discourse, advocating for AI systems grounded in ethical postcolonial principles that challenge rather than perpetuate dominant narratives.