Fluid Futures: Bridging Institutional Voids in the Global South with Blockchains, Agentic AI, and Transformative Knowledge

Syed Muntasir Mamun (), Abdullah Al-Matin (), Obiora P. Umegbolu () and Latha Poonamallee ()
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Syed Muntasir Mamun: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (academically affiliated to: University of Oxford/China Agricultural University/Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute)
Abdullah Al-Matin: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (academically affiliated to: University of Dhaka/Peking University (Oriental Scholar)/Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute)
Obiora P. Umegbolu: Africa Think Tank (academically affiliated to: Sheffield Hallam University UK, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Nigeria and Paul University Nigeria)
Latha Poonamallee: The New School

Chapter 12 in Technology, Management, and Design for Social Justice, 2026, pp 261-282 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Institutional voids in the Global South—rooted in colonial extraction and perpetuated by contemporary governance failures—continue to constrain equitable development. This essay theorizes how the integration of agentic artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain architectures, and transformative knowledge ecosystems can address these voids by creating inclusive, participatory systems that realign technological innovation with local sovereignty. We advance the concept of the AAA Fluid Institution, characterized by Adaptivity, Agentic Action, and Agility, inspired by Bauman’s notion of Liquid Modernity. This framework reconceptualizes governance as a dynamic, human-centered process capable of evolving in real time through participatory mechanisms, algorithmic transparency, and anticipatory regulation. Drawing on case studies from Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia—ranging from mobile money innovations and anti-corruption blockchain systems to AI-enabled healthcare—this paper demonstrates how emerging technologies can both bridge and reproduce institutional gaps. The analysis culminates in a call for anticipatory and plural governance that ensures digital infrastructures foster equitable futures rather than replicate historical hierarchies.

Keywords: Institutional voids; Agentic AI; Blockchain governance; Transformative knowledge ecosystems; Fluid institutions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-20821-7_12

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