内容摘要：Google has been back in federal court to fend off the United States Department of Justice’s attempt to topple its internet empire at the same time it is navigating a pivotal shift to artificial intelligence (AI) that could undercut its power.

Google has been back in federal court to fend off the United States Department of Justice’s attempt to topple its internet empire at the same time it is navigating a pivotal shift to artificial intelligence (AI) that could undercut its power.

Greenland, for example, is shown to be relatively the same size as Africa, but, in reality, can fit in the continent 14 times over. Europe, portrayed as bigger than South America, is actually half its size.Advocates like Ogundairo are pushing instead for “equal area” map projections, which they say more accurately represent the prominence of the African continent.

Since early May, Ogundairo, as lead campaigner at Africa No Filter, a nonprofit working to change negative perceptions of Africa, has hassled big institutions like the United Nations with a “Correct the World” campaign. People are encouraged to sign an online petition to pressure their governments into compliance. Most people, Ogundairo said, don’t know about the distortions and react with surprise and outrage.“We’ve had a lot of, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t even know this was happening,’” Ogundairo told Al Jazeera. “I have an uncle who decided to support this because I told him you can fit the US, China, and India into Africa, and he felt so betrayed. He was like ‘Oh my God, I had no idea.’”Institutions have been harder to crack, Ogundairo said, but she expected some resistance to this sensitive, controversial topic.

For centuries, experts have debated the question: Can anyone accurately depict a three-dimensional, spherical world on a flat surface? Is it possible to take a rounded object, like a football, for example, cut it up, paste it on a board, and have a precise representation?Many experts conclude the answer is a resounding no. Maps, they say, are inherently a lie, always compromising on something: Area, distance, or something else. Others, though, argue that near-perfect maps exist and must be highlighted.

Ogundairo believes the commonly used Mercator map affects Africa and Africans negatively, and that its widespread use for centuries is connected to the many decades of

the continent endured. Now, she said, some 70 years after independence from colonial masters, is the time to press for change.In order to do this the university sector must get its house in order. This starts with adopting transparent human rights policies across the sector and undertaking effective due diligence to manage risks to human rights. Failure to take these necessary steps leaves the sector at risk of contributing, however unintentionally, to global human rights violations.

Universities must ask themselves: Who is sitting in our classrooms? Who benefits from our training? And what consequences might flow from what we teach? These are amongst the many urgent questions, but not ones the sector appears to be asking.UK universities must take meaningful steps to ensure they avoid inadvertently sharpening the tools of global repression and move towards building a human rights record they can be proud of. Not only will it appeal to a new generation of activist students, but it’s the right thing to do.

*Full details of FfT’s investigation, including responses from universities, can be foundThe views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.