How AI Can Empower Indigenous Entrepreneurship and Preserve Culture: Insights from Brian Ritchie

In a recent roundtable hosted by Mastercard and The Globe and Mail, Indigenous entrepreneur Brian Ritchie, CEO of Kama.ai, shared a powerful vision of how AI can be a catalyst for Indigenous innovation—while emphasizing the need for culturally safe and responsible implementation.

Brian highlighted how AI can help Indigenous entrepreneurs scale their businesses by automating tasks like marketing and customer engagement. This gives founders more time to focus on strategic growth. However, he cautioned that generative AI tools must respect cultural integrity. “Indigenous entrepreneurs want their words to be their words—the voice of the elder, the storyteller, the marketer,” he said.

To solve this, kama.ai is building responsible AI systems that combine large language models with knowledge graphs—ensuring responses are accurate, brand-aligned, and free of hallucinations.

Beyond business, Brian sees AI as a powerful tool for cultural preservation. “I would love an AI that could help me learn Cree on my own terms,” he said. But he also warned of risks, like the loss or misrepresentation of sacred knowledge if not properly governed.

His message is clear: AI must be shaped by Indigenous hands—to protect identity, control data, and unlock economic potential—without compromising authenticity or values.

📖 Read the full article at The Globe and Mail