Nigeria, May 27 -- A few days ago, a message made the rounds that Perplexity AI has launched a fact-checking assistant on WhatsApp. To many, it was just another announcement in the fast-moving world of artificial intelligence, but to those working in the information ecosystem, particularly in the Global South, it felt like something more: a sign of just how quickly Big Tech is expanding into domain-specific spaces once led by local innovation.

We are entering a new phase of AI development, one where tools are no longer just general-purpose assistants but are being fine-tuned to sectors like health, education, agriculture, journalism, and law. This sectoral shift holds immense promise. But it also revives an old pattern: the consolidation...