Protecting indigenous biodiversity through DNA, data, and AI

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  • Date
    11 June 2025
    Timeframe
    16:00 - 17:00 CEST Geneva
    Duration
    60 minutes
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    As we continue to harness the power of data and technology to understand our world we’re also confronted with urgent ethical questions: Who owns the data and who benefits from it? 

    At the center of this conversation is the principle of data sovereignty — the right of people, organizations, communities, and Indigenous peoples, to govern the data that originates from themselves, their cultures, and lands.
    Indigenous peoples are protectors and knowledge holders of much of the world’s remaining biodiversity — not by accident, but through generations of deep, reciprocal relationships with the land. In this talk, Dr. Krystal Tsosie explores the intersection of artificial intelligence, data governance, and Indigenous knowledge systems, with a focus on genetic data sovereignty. Highlighting examples of bio-colonialism, including the exploitation of medicinal plants and cultural knowledge, she calls for a shift to equitable, community-led science. Dr. Tsosie shares efforts to build Indigenous data infrastructure, including the first Indigenous-led biobank, and proposes technologies like blockchain and federated AI as tools to enable Indigenous authority over data use.  She emphasizes that Indigenous peoples must be recognized as co-creators and stewards of knowledge, and urges institutions to move beyond tokenistic engagement toward lasting, structural change.

    Learning Objectives:

    1. Describe the differences between Western scientific frameworks and Indigenous philosophical approaches to data, knowledge, and stewardship.
    2. Apply the principles of Indigenous data sovereignty to assess ethical considerations in emerging AI and genomics research.