Abstract
The evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to influence research and change how researchers interface with data and machines. One novel use of AI is to help guide research questions by identifying data trends, especially in public sentiment, that could potentially trigger increased societal vulnerability. While analyzing data using AI is a new development, pairing machines and humans remains a critical aspect of research. This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of the Modeling Dense Urban Networks (MDUN), an AI-driven analytical model, to identify the critical economic, geographical, environmental, and political influences on the local population’s sentiment that has influenced societal vulnerability in Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso is a region that faces significant societal vulnerability due to economic inequalities, regional instability resulting from the ongoing conflict in the Sahel, substantial environmental challenges acting as a threat multiplier, and a long-standing lack of trust in the government and the former colonial power, France. The internal factors of instability significantly impacted the two military coups that took place in Burkina Faso in 2022. In addition to the internal factors of instability, Burkina Faso is an area of intense competition between several global powers due to the country’s significant potential for natural resource extraction. These powers try to manipulate societal opinion around the local vulnerability issues to promote their influence in Burkina Faso while undermining their rivals.
Presenters
Richard WolfelProfessor of Geography, Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering, Center for Languages, Cultures and Regional Studies, United States Military Academy, New York, United States Amy Richmond
Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering, United States Military Academy, New York, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Vulnerability, Political Geography, Governance, Resilience, Artificial Intelligence, Burkina Faso
