Resisting Neo-Colonialism: A Comparative Analysis of Chinese and American Large Language Models
Öz
This study argues that large language models are not merely technical tools but socio-technical apparatuses that perform ideological functions within the global knowledge order. It comparatively examines the responses of the U.S.-based ChatGPT and the China-based DeepSeek to questions concerning the developmental obstacles faced by Global South countries. The aim is to reveal how the legacies of colonialism, developmentalist discourses, and epistemic inequalities are represented in these models' outputs. A mixed methodological design combining thematic analysis and critical discourse analysis was employed to evaluate the models’ responses in terms of content diversity, critical depth, and ideological orientation. The findings show that ownership structures, data ecologies, and political–economic positioning are concretised in the models’ textual productions. While ChatGPT’s closed intellectual property regime and reliance on cloud monopolies reproduce hegemonic structures, DeepSeek’s open-access and low-cost computational strategy reflects an alternative, cost-reduction–driven approach to AI production. Overall, the study demonstrates that artificial intelligence represents not only a technological phenomenon but also a political issue-one that is deeply intertwined with questions of knowledge sovereignty, dependency, and global inequality in the context of the Global South.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Kaynakça
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Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
İletişim Teknolojisi ve Dijital Medya Çalışmaları
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yayımlanma Tarihi
30 Nisan 2026
Gönderilme Tarihi
10 Kasım 2025
Kabul Tarihi
31 Mart 2026
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2026 Sayı: 17


