'Intergalactic' Resistance Studies Conference

Individual presentation

Technologies of Defiance: AI, Distributed Systems, and Geospatial Strategies for Advancing Resistance in Repressive Contexts

Mulugeta Tilahun Bekele
University of Gondar
Abstract: Resistance in the twenty-first century faces unprecedented challenges due to the convergence of authoritarian governance, digital surveillance, and globalized mechanisms of oppression. Traditional frameworks of resistance—ranging from everyday acts of defiance to organized social movements—must now contend with technologically enhanced repression. This thesis explores the integration of emerging technologies to support, amplify, and sustain resistance movements under repressive conditions. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives from Resistance Studies, political science, digital anthropology, and critical theory, this research examines how artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), geospatial intelligence, and distributed communication systems can enhance both strategic planning and tactical execution of resistance. The study presents a conceptual framework for understanding technology as a force multiplier in resistance work, identifying mechanisms through which AI can be used for predictive analytics, threat assessment, and decentralized coordination without compromising participant safety. Geospatial technologies, including satellite imagery, GPS tracking, and spatial data visualization, are evaluated for their potential to map systemic oppression, monitor movements of interest, and enable geographically-informed decision-making. Distributed systems, including blockchain and peer-to-peer networks, are analyzed for their capacity to facilitate secure communication, resource sharing, and collaborative action while circumventing centralized surveillance and censorship. Empirical case studies from global resistance movements illustrate how these technologies intersect with social, cultural, and ethical dimensions of resistance. The research highlights both opportunities and risks, including the potential for co-optation, digital profiling, and algorithmic bias, emphasizing the need for ethical deployment and community governance of technological tools. By bridging Resistance Studies with emerging technology, this thesis contributes to a transdisciplinary understanding of how resistance can evolve in increasingly surveilled and controlled societies. Ultimately, the work seeks to provide a strategic, evidence-based roadmap for activists, scholars, and policymakers to harness AI, distributed systems, and geospatial technologies for sustainable, resilient, and adaptive resistance. It argues that in a world of escalating authoritarianism, technology-informed resistance is not merely a tactical advantage but a critical avenue for preserving agency, fostering solidarity, and challenging systemic oppression at multiple scales. Keywords: Resistance Studies, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Distributed Systems, Geospatial Technology, Communication Technology, Authoritarianism, Digital Activism, Strategic Resistance, Socio-technical Systems
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