1. Purpose and Scope

This policy defines the ethical, cultural, and legal framework for the responsible use of AI-powered tools integrated within the AfricanRootsCultures ecosystem, including but not limited to WordPress plugins, no-code platforms, design tools, translation engines, content editors, audience growth modules, and automated workflows.

These tools enhance workflow efficiency but must not compromise the integrity, authenticity, or ownership of human-generated ideas, especially when those ideas bridge experience, cultural identity, lived knowledge, intergenerational wisdom, and collective community values.

This policy exists to protect the authentic, human-centered creativity of users and to ensure that technological enhancements serve—but never replace—lived experience, cultural knowledge, or storytelling agency.

This policy reflects our commitment to CARE principles:

• Community-led
• Authentic
• Responsible
• Ethical

It is also informed by the ethical frameworks underpinning HASS disciplines and the Indigenous Research Data Commons (IRDC), which emphasize respectful data stewardship, cultural safety, and informed, collective consent. It is further informed by the AIATSIS Code of Ethics, APGA Indigenous Engagement Principles, the HASS (Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences) framework, and ARDC’s Working with Sensitive Data guidelines, which prioritize consent, community control, and cultural integrity.

2. Protection of Creator Rights and Ownership

2.1 Human-Centered Ownership

Creators retain full copyright and moral rights over all content that reflects their original intent, message, voice, cultural knowledge, and lived experience—regardless of AI’s role in formatting, translation, or design layout.

Users maintain full copyright and moral rights over all content reflecting original intent, message, cultural nuance, traditions, languages, and values—regardless of AI augmentation. This includes creative works shaped through plugins, automated design templates, AI-enhanced copywriting, or translation features.

2.2 AI-Assisted but Human-Guided

AI-generated enhancements are considered derivative, and do not alter the primary attribution of ownership when guided by the creator’s unique input, knowledge, and voice. AfricanRootsCultures acknowledges that ideas are human-grown, rooted in expertise, culture, and lived experience.

AI tools are used only to support the delivery of human-generated ideas. They may assist with layout, multilingual formatting, or stylistic harmonization—but do not generate original content or interpret cultural meaning. Ownership remains with the creator when AI is used in this way.

2.3 Style, Cultural Sovereignty, and Representation

AI tools must not standardize, simplify, or erase the stylistic identity, community language, or cultural sovereignty embedded in user content. The creative expression of underrepresented or Indigenous knowledge systems must remain protected, contextualized, and non-extractive.

Cultural expression—including language, tone, structure, and storytelling format—is protected. AI must not dilute, extract, standardize, or misrepresent Indigenous knowledge systems, traditions, or community-held content. These are governed by community protocols and relational ethics, not algorithms.

3. Ethical Integration of AI Tools

3.1 Transparency of AI Features

All AI-enabled features (content editors, smart design assistants, translators, SEO/engagement plugins, etc.) will be transparently disclosed to users. Creators will have the option to opt-in or out of AI assistance, particularly when working with culturally sensitive or community-owned content.

AI-powered features on AfricanRootsCultures are used exclusively to support website design enhancement, layout optimization, multilingual formatting, and stylistic language consistency. These tools do not generate original content, narratives, or cultural interpretation.

All AI design support tools are clearly labeled and visible within the platform. Users will always be aware when AI tools are being applied to formatting or structure.

• Creator-Directed Use of AI

On AfricanRootsCultures, AI tools are always in service of the creator, never a substitute for human voice, cultural knowledge, or creative intention. Creators decide when, where, and how AI is used to support their work—especially when engaging with community-based, traditional, or Indigenous knowledge systems.

AI features are integrated solely to enhance:

• Website layout and structure
• Multilingual formatting and clarity
• Stylistic consistency across content

These features help creators share stories and traditions in accessible digital formats—without changing their meaning or message.

3.2 Community Before Automation

AI is strictly used to support the delivery and accessibility of content—not to define it. All ideas, messages, tone, and cultural references are created, reviewed, and maintained by human authors. The AI functions purely as a layout, translation, or formatting assistant to help creators better express their own voices through design compatibility, responsive visuals, or multilingual accessibility.

AI must be augmentative, not authoritative. It cannot replace the cultural, historical, emotional, or collective understanding embedded in human-created content. Platform architecture must center human wisdom, not computational preference.

All AI-powered tools and plugins are clearly disclosed and labeled. Users are informed exactly when and how AI is applied, and no AI-generated content is embedded without the creator’s awareness and direction.

This approach is guided by:

• The CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics)
• The AIATSIS Code of Ethics and APGA Indigenous Engagement Principles, which prioritize community authority and respectful use of cultural content
• The ARDC’s Working with Sensitive Data framework, which affirms that context—not code—determines sensitivity and ethical responsibility

“Consent is not a checkbox; it’s an ongoing, relational process.”
— ARDC, 2023

• Cultural Integrity in Design and Language

When working with content that reflects community-held knowledge, Indigenous traditions, or culturally sensitive messages, users are encouraged to maintain full creative control and oversight. While AI may support style alignment and language flow, it does not alter the meaning, context, or origin of any human-generated content.

In alignment with ethical research and community guidelines, including ARDC’s principles on sensitive data, platform integrations are designed to respect cultural sovereignty and minimize algorithmic influence in human expression.

3.3 Feedback, Recourse, and Cultural Sensitivity

AfricanRootsCultures encourages ongoing user input to improve AI fairness, cultural accuracy, and accessibility. Any AI outputs identified as misleading, biased, disrespectful, or culturally inappropriate will be immediately reviewed and corrected.
Alignment with guidelines such as ARDC’s Working with Sensitive Data ensures the platform maintains cultural and ethical integrity.

“Respect for the people and communities behind sensitive data, especially Indigenous knowledge, is foundational. Consent is not a checkbox—it is an ongoing, relational process.”
— ARDC, Working with Sensitive Data

3.4 Bridging Cultures, Knowledge, and Technology

AI tools are designed to bridge—not replace—traditions and technologies. They support creators who work at the intersection of cultural knowledge and digital expression, enabling them to:

• Make content accessible across languages and devices
• Expand audience reach without losing community roots
• Present knowledge responsibly and beautifully within the creator’s cultural frame

AI respects the boundary between enhancement and appropriation.

3.5 Accessibility with Care

AI features also support digital inclusion and accessibility for:

• Multilingual readers
• Mobile or low-bandwidth users
• Creators with different levels of digital literacy

However, accessibility must never come at the cost of context, depth, or cultural integrity. Creators retain the right to guide what is shared and how.

4. Responsible Use Guidelines

Certainly! Below is an expanded version of the section on the responsible use of AI tools in AfricanRoots, now with detailed subsections that clearly define the obligations and restrictions for users. The references to ethical guidelines and principles, including the APGA principles (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols for AI and Digital Technology), ARDC (Australian Research Data Commons), and CARE principles, are integrated to ensure the protection of creators, communities, and their cultural knowledge.

4. Responsible Use Guidelines for AI Tools

The use of AI tools on AfricanRootsCultures must always respect the human creators, the cultural context of the work, and the community-centered values of the platform. These guidelines ensure that AI is used as a supportive tool for creative enhancement, not as a means to distort, exploit, or appropriate cultural or intellectual property.

Creators and users of AfricanRootsCultures are encouraged to always act in accordance with the platform’s guiding CARE principles and data sovereignty standards. Misuse of AI tools, such as misrepresenting authorship, distorting cultural meanings, or exploiting Indigenous knowledge, undermines the ethical and community-based foundation of the platform.

These ethical obligations also extend to the broader ecosystem of AI integrations and data practices, ensuring that AfricanRootsCultures remains a safe, respectful, and culturally responsible space for creativity, research, and digital innovation.

AI tools on AfricanRootsCultures are powerful enablers for enhancing content creation and design processes, but their usage must always adhere to strict ethical boundaries. The following guidelines must be adhered to:

4.1 Misrepresenting Authorship or Community Ownership

AI tools must not be used to misrepresent the authorship or ownership of content created by individuals or communities. This includes, but is not limited to, the attribution of ideas, narratives, designs, and expressions that originate from particular creators or collective cultural knowledge.

• AI-generated outputs should never replace or obscure the human creator’s voice or undermine the community-based ownership of traditional knowledge, stories, or artifacts.
• When AI tools are involved in the enhancement or formatting of content, their role must be clearly disclosed, and proper authorship should remain with the human creators or the community from which the knowledge is drawn.
• Cultural ownership and copyright laws apply to traditional and community-based knowledge in the same way they apply to individual works. AI tools should never be used to claim false authorship or inappropriately remove community consent from the content they produce or enhance.

Reference: APGA Principles, ARDC’s Indigenous Data Sovereignty Guidelines

4.2 Generating Content that Distorts or Displaces Cultural, Spiritual, or Traditional Meaning

AI tools must never be used to produce content that distorts or misrepresents cultural, spiritual, or traditional meanings associated with knowledge or heritage. This is particularly important for content that represents Indigenous or marginalized cultural narratives, rituals, or practices.

• AI-generated content should not alter, strip, or reinterpret cultural contexts, symbols, or expressions without a thorough understanding of their deep-rooted meanings and community significance.
• Cultural and spiritual integrity must be maintained, and AI systems should not be used to generate misleading content that could displace or commodify these traditions.
• When dealing with sensitive materials (e.g., sacred texts, oral traditions, ceremonial knowledge), explicit and informed consent from cultural custodians or relevant authorities is required. The platform ensures these protocols are respected to safeguard cultural identity.

Reference: ARDC’s Ethical Framework for Sensitive Data, CARE Principles

4.3 Extracting or Remixing Culturally Sensitive or Sovereign Content Without Explicit and Informed Consent

AI tools on AfricanRootsCultures must not be used to extract, remix, or repurpose culturally sensitive content or sovereign knowledge without explicit, informed, and ongoing consent from the original creators or the communities involved.

• Indigenous and community-based knowledge is protected by data sovereignty principles. AI tools must respect these principles, ensuring that no culturally significant content is fed into AI systems without first securing permission through formal channels, and, if necessary, community consultation.
• Informed consent must include a full understanding of how the data will be used, stored, and potentially altered by AI systems. Community stakeholders should always have the opportunity to review and approve any adaptations or representations of their cultural knowledge.
• Platform transparency is critical: creators must clearly disclose the cultural context of content they wish to share or adapt using AI tools. AI outputs must be accountable, and creators must remain responsible for upholding ethical standards when sharing cultural material.

Reference: ARDC Indigenous Data Sovereignty Guidelines, APGA Protocols for Working with Sensitive Cultural Data

4.4 Promoting Stereotypes, Erasure, or Appropriation of Underrepresented Communities

AI tools must never be used to generate or perpetuate content that promotes harmful stereotypes, erasure, or appropriation of underrepresented communities. Content should respect the dignity and diversity of all cultures, particularly those that have been historically marginalized.

• Stereotyping or erasure of specific communities or their values is strictly prohibited. AI tools should not be employed to perpetuate reductive or harmful portrayals of underrepresented groups.
• Cultural appropriation must be actively avoided. AI should not be used to create or distribute works that misuse or misinterpret sacred symbols, cultural practices, or community knowledge for commercial or aesthetic gain, without proper consultation and consent from the original custodians of that knowledge.
• Community protocols should always guide the use of AI tools. AI-enhanced content that marginalizes or misrepresents groups based on race, gender, sexuality, or other protected identities is considered a violation of platform ethics and subject to removal and accountability measures.

Reference: CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance, ARDC’s Guidelines for Ethical Use of Cultural and Sensitive Data

Summary: Creators and users must not use AI tools to:

• Misrepresent authorship or cultural origins of any content
• Extract or remix culturally sensitive material without permission
• Alter or distort the human stories, knowledge, or ethical intentions behind shared work
• Distribute content that violates privacy, cultural protocols, or anti-discrimination standards
• Bypass proper consent when dealing with community-owned, sacred, or traditional content

5. Consent, Privacy, and Data Stewardship

5.1 Respectful Data Use

Any data submitted through platform tools (AI prompts, designs, translations) will only be used for temporary processing with full, clear user consent. No data will be used for training AI models unless permission is explicitly and transparently granted.

AI tools will only process content with informed, active consent. No user data or content will be used for AI training or third-party analytics unless explicitly authorized.

5.2 Cultural and Community Consent

For content that includes ancestral knowledge, traditional languages, rituals, or community practices, creators and communities must be consulted before such content is integrated into AI systems or public platforms.

This aligns with Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles and protocols outlined by organizations such as the ARDC and IRDC.

“Indigenous peoples have the right to govern the collection, ownership, and application of their data and cultural knowledge.”
— Indigenous Data Sovereignty Principles (AIATSIS, IRDC)

Content involving Indigenous knowledge, intergenerational practices, traditional languages, and sacred stories must not be used in AI-supported design or formatting tools without clear, community-based consent. AfricanRootsCultures aligns with Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles and acknowledges that data governance is contextual, collective, and cultural.

6. Affirming the Value of Human Creativity

AI does not produce culture; people do. While automation may support efficiency, only human beings carry the nuance, care, empathy, ethics, and lived memory necessary to communicate stories, ideas, and messages of impact.

We believe that technology supports creativity—it doesn’t create it. Only human beings carry the empathy, nuance, ethics, and care required to tell stories, pass on wisdom, and shape community narratives.

AfricanRootsCultures affirms that:

• Design is storytelling
• Translation is cultural stewardship
• Editing is ethical representation
• Growth is guided by relationships, not algorithms

All AI integrations are tools—not voices.
The voice belongs to you.

7. Amendments and Co-Governance

This policy is a living document. It will be reviewed regularly in consultation with creators, cultural advisors, Indigenous knowledge holders, and affected communities. Amendments will reflect technological change, community guidance, and legal evolution in AI and digital rights.

Creators are invited to participate in the co-governance of this ethical framework to ensure it remains grounded, inclusive, and care-centered.

This policy will evolve with:

• Community feedback
• Changes in law and technology
• Ongoing ethical consultation

Creators, cultural advisors, and community members are invited to participate in shaping this framework to ensure it remains inclusive, just, and grounded in relational ethics.

8. Acknowledgment

We acknowledge and honor the communities, ancestors, and knowledge keepers whose creativity, resilience, and storytelling traditions form the foundation of our collective work. We are committed to a future where technology amplifies—not appropriates—human stories.

We respectfully promote the knowledge systems, traditions, and communities whose stories, struggles, and visions form the heart of this platform. We walk alongside creators and culture-bearers, building tools that serve—not overshadow—community voices and Indigenous sovereignty.

9. Authorship, AI Assistance, and Reuse Authorization

9.1 Authorship Integrity and AI Contribution

All content produced on or through AfricanRootsCultures—including content enhanced through AI-supported tools (e.g. formatting, translation, design layout)—is recognized as being authored by the human creator(s) whose intent, voice, and creative direction are foundational.

AI does not generate original ideas, nor does it alter the underlying message, meaning, or cultural grounding of the content. Any contribution made by AI tools is considered a technical enhancement directed by the human creator and does not constitute co-authorship, authorship transfer, or content ownership by the platform or tool provider.

Authorship remains with the people, not the tool.

9.2 Copyright of Authors, Contributors, and Communities

All works created and published via AfricanRootsCultures are protected under applicable intellectual property laws, with copyright retained by:

• The individual author(s)
• Collaborators or co-creators explicitly named
• Any affiliated communities, cultural bodies, or knowledge holders involved in the work, particularly when the content reflects collective traditions, oral knowledge, or Indigenous systems of meaning

Where community-engaged knowledge is shared (including intergenerational stories, ceremonial content, or land-based practices), creators are encouraged to acknowledge their communities as co-stewards of that knowledge. In these cases, copyright may be jointly held or culturally governed under customary law and Indigenous data sovereignty principles.

9.3 Obligations for Reproduction, Reuse, and Attribution

No individual, organization, plugin, third-party platform, or automated system may reproduce, adapt, distribute, remix, or republish content created through AfricanRootsCultures—in whole or in part—without:

• Explicit permission from the original author or copyright holder(s)
• Acknowledgment of all named contributors and communities
• Respect for any cultural or customary protocols associated with the knowledge shared
• Clarity around the purpose and context of reuse, especially where that reuse could misrepresent or commodify the original content

This applies to all content, including AI-enhanced versions, language translations, layout adaptations, or integrated multimedia.

Any breach of these responsibilities may constitute copyright infringement, cultural appropriation, or misuse of Indigenous knowledge, and may lead to legal action or removal from the platform.

AI-enhanced content does not remove the obligation to respect copyright, attribution, and cultural consent.

12. Customary Intellectual Property (IP) Acknowledgment and Community Governance

12.1 Recognition of Customary Knowledge and Authority

AfricanRootsCultures affirms that knowledge systems—including cultural expressions, oral histories, traditional narratives, ceremonial practices, ecological intelligence, and communal innovations—may be governed by customary laws and collective rights that extend beyond Western models of copyright or intellectual property.

We acknowledge that:

• Some knowledge is not owned by individuals, but by communities, clans, or kinship networks.
• Authority over that knowledge may reside with Elders, knowledge holders, or community-led collectives.
• The right to share, adapt, or circulate such knowledge requires relational, not just legal, accountability.

AfricanRootsCultures  does not claim ownership over any content tied to traditional or Indigenous knowledge and encourages contributors and users to uphold these relational protocols.

✨ “Customary law governs how, when, and by whom knowledge may be shared—and those laws must be respected alongside formal copyright.”
— Adapted from the APGA Protocols and ARDC Indigenous Data Sovereignty Guidelines

12.2 Attribution and Cultural Protocols

Content shared on AfricanRootsCultures that draws from traditional practices, sacred knowledge, or intergenerational storytelling must:

• • Provide clear cultural attribution, naming the community, lineage, or cultural context of the knowledge where appropriate and with permission.
  • Include a statement of cultural sensitivity where applicable, such as:
    “This content is shared with permission from AfricanRootsCultures for cultural, educational, and non-commercial purposes.”
  • Acknowledge that some content may be subject to restricted sharing, reproduction, or remixing, even if publicly viewable.

• Use Indigenous identifiers, flags, or Traditional Knowledge (TK) Labels where communities have adopted them (e.g., Local Contexts’ TK Labels and Biocultural (BC) Labels).

12.3 Community Governance and Oversight

To maintain ethical stewardship, AfricanRootsCultures supports a community-centered governance approach to content integrity. This includes:

• Providing mechanisms for community review or feedback on content that references or represents traditional or sensitive material.
• Offering communities the ability to request content removal, correction, or contextualization, in accordance with customary and cultural responsibilities.
• Supporting Indigenous-led and community-based research ethics as part of our platform values and workflows.

AfricanRootsCultures will convene or consult with a Community Ethics Advisory Group, when needed, made up of cultural knowledge holders, researchers, and community advocates to guide responses to ethical concerns, misuse, or cultural harm.

12.4 Respect for Non-Commercial and Communal Intent

AfricanRootsCultures is a non-commercial, community-centered platform designed to bridge technology, cultural heritage, and research. All content published on the platform must honor the following principles:

• Content is shared for cultural preservation, education, and respectful exchange—not for commercial exploitation.
• AI-enhanced tools must not be used to appropriate, alter, or monetize cultural content or traditional knowledge.
• Contributors who share community knowledge affirm that they do so with prior informed consent and in accordance with relevant community protocols.

🔍 Reference Documents:

• CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance (GIDA)
• ARDC: Working with Sensitive Data
• APGA: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Data Management Protocols
• Local Contexts TK & BC Labels Toolkit

13. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding the use of Content, or if you wish to report copyright infringement, please contact us at:

Tiako Djomatchoua Murielle Sandra

connect@tiakodjomatchouamuriellesandra.com

Website: https://tiakodjomatchouamuriellesandra.com/

BlackRootsCultures © 2025 by Tiako Djomatchoua Murielle Sandra is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/