Tribal Sovereignty in the Age of AI: Exploring Opportunities and Risks for Tribal Nations

Register for Wiring the Rez 2025: examining artificial intelligence in Indian Country. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) has already arrived, faster and more powerful than even veteran technologists expected. Tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and LLaMA now generate intricate images, interpret complex datasets and  even simulate reasoning in some instances. More than 90% of Fortune 500 companies report using AI in their operations, particularly in sectors such as health care, law and finance.

For Tribal Nations, the rise of AI represents a critical juncture. This technology holds potential to support Indigenous language revitalization, expand resources and enhance access across key industries such as healthcare, law and finance. With intentional policy frameworks and proactive Tribal governance, AI could strengthen self-determination and sovereignty. But without strategic oversight and culturally-informed design, it also risks deepening existing disparities; exacerbating employment displacement, cultural misrepresentation and persistent gaps in digital access.

Access and infrastructure: the foundation for AI readiness

Across Indian Country, many Tribal communities continue to face serious broadband infrastructure challenges that could make AI inaccessible. According to a 2019 report from the American Indian Policy Institute, only 31% of Tribal households had fixed broadband access at home. While recent federal initiatives, such as the FCC's Native Nations Communications Task Force and NTIA’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, may help close the gap, disparities remain. From 2016 to 2021, the digital divide between Tribal and non-Tribal households narrowed by just 10 percentage points. More recent data from the CDC confirms that American Indian and Alaska Native households in Tribal areas are still disproportionately disconnected.

As AI systems become more powerful, they require greater digital infrastructure to function effectively. This includes not only broadband connectivity but access to computing power, energy and cloud storage. Without strategic investment, AI could potentially widen the digital divide by concentrating economic and technological benefits in already-connected regions. 

Community impacts: environmental and economic pressures

The infrastructure demands of AI are not merely digital, they are physical. AI-powered systems rely on massive data centers that consume significant land, water and energy resources. A single large data center can use up to 5 million gallons of water per day, the equivalent of a city of 50,000 people. By 2026, data centers and AI demand are projected to account for roughly 6% of the nation’s total electricity use.

This rapid growth is reshaping local grids and utilities across the U.S., particularly in regions like Arizona, where data center development is surging. For rural and Tribal communities, the pressure on water rights, land use and transmission capacity is especially concerning. Tribal Nations will be faced with decisions about whether and how to host AI-related infrastructure on Tribal lands, balancing potential economic development against risks to environmental sovereignty and cultural integrity.

Institutional use: opportunities in health and justice systems

AI also presents opportunities to strengthen Tribal institutions, particularly in health care, legal services and governance. AI tools could streamline administrative processes, expand access to services and help reduce costs through predictive analytics and automation. In healthcare, AI can assist in diagnosing illnesses, improving health record management and enhancing emergency response. In legal settings, AI is being explored for tasks such as document review and drafting, with the potential to increase access to justice. However, such systems must be evaluated through a sovereignty lens. Questions remain about data governance, regulatory jurisdiction and the integration of culturally relevant practices in algorithmic design.

Data sovereignty: protecting Indigenous knowledge

A foundational concern across all applications is Tribal data sovereignty. As AI systems learn by ingesting large quantities of data, Tribal Nations will face complex decisions about how, or whether, to contribute Indigenous data to AI training models. Current AI development often overlooks Indigenous perspectives. Publicly available datasets may underrepresent, misrepresent, or exploit Native cultures, languages and histories. In some cases, data has been used without consent, raising concerns about surveillance, ownership and long-standing patterns of erasure.

Tribal leaders and legal advocates have long emphasized the importance of Indigenous data governance frameworks. Emerging principles such as CARE (Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility, Ethics) provide guidance for ensuring that data use respects Tribal sovereignty and community-defined values. These frameworks will be crucial as AI applications expand.

The path forward: sovereignty-first innovation

Without strategic investment in digital infrastructure, data governance and regulatory oversight, AI could entrench existing inequities in Indian Country. But Tribal Nations also have a rare opportunity to lead and to shape how emerging technologies are built and used in ways that reflect Indigenous values, legal frameworks and priorities for self-determination.

Critical conversations are beginning to take place. On September 26, 2025, Tribal leaders, legal scholars, technologists and policymakers will convene for Wiring the Rez: AI in Indian Country, a one-day summit hosted by the American Indian Policy Institute’s Center for Tribal Digital Sovereignty and the Indian Legal Program at Arizona State University. Interactive sessions will explore AI’s role in advancing Indigenous health equity, building digital governance frameworks and supporting cultural preservation.