---
id: "aiethics:lecture/role-of-culture"
type: "AI Ethics course lecture"
title: "The Role of Culture in AI Ethics: An Eastern Perspective"
url: "https://aiethicscourse.org/lectures/role-of-culture"
authors: ["Jibu Elias"]
summary: "This module analyzes the shortcomings of the present AI ethics discourse and discusses the importance of cultural perspectives in AI Ethics."
source: "AI Ethics: Global Perspectives (aiethicscourse.org)"
licence: "Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)"
---

# The Role of Culture in AI Ethics: An Eastern Perspective

A lecture of the course [AI Ethics: Global Perspectives](https://aiethicscourse.org/).

## Lecturer

- Jibu Elias, Content and Research Head, INDIAai

## About this lecture

This module analyzes the shortcomings of the present AI ethics discourse and discusses the importance of cultural perspectives in AI Ethics through the lens of Eastern cultural and philosophical approaches. Using examples from South Korea, China, Japan and Buddhist philosophy, we explore the inherent links between culture and ethics, and seek to understand the value of nuanced approaches to global AI ethics frameworks.

## Video and transcript

- Video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOPe6S_OCbg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOPe6S_OCbg)
- Transcript (PDF): [https://aiethicscourse.org/img/6dfaba73-9c1f-49cc-b293-e5d0ac3aa08c.pdf](https://aiethicscourse.org/img/6dfaba73-9c1f-49cc-b293-e5d0ac3aa08c.pdf)

## Read, watch, and listen

- [Global AI Ethics: A Review of the Social Impacts and Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence](https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1907/1907.07892.pdf), Hagerty, Alexa, and Igor Rubinov. “Global AI Ethics: A Review of the Social Impacts and Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence.” ArXiv.org, 18 July 2019.
- [The Global Landscape of AI Ethics Guidelines](https://doi.org/10.1038/s42256-019-0088-2), Jobin, A., Ienca, M. and Vayena, E. The global landscape of AI ethics guidelines. Nature Machine Intelligence 1, 389-399 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42256-019-0088-2.
- [What Buddhism can do for AI Ethics](https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/01/06/1015779/what-buddhism-can-do-ai-ethics/), Hongladarom, S. What Buddhism can do for AI ethics. MIT Technology Review. January 6, 2021. https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/01/06/1015779/what-buddhism-can-do-ai-ethics/.
- [Perspectives and Approaches in AI Ethics: East Asia](http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3400816), Gal, D. Perspectives and Approaches in AI Ethics: East Asia. In Oxford Handbook of Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, eds. Dubber, M.D., Pasquale, F. and Das, S. Oxford University Press, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3400816.
- [The Importance of Cultural Diversity in AI Ethics](https://behorizon.org/the-importance-of-cultural-diversity-in-ai-ethics/), Goffi, E. The importance of cultural diversity in AI ethics. Behorizon.org. Beyond the Horizon ISSG, January 26, 2021. https://behorizon.org/the-importance-of-cultural-diversity-in-ai-ethics/.
- [How cultural diversity and awareness can create a more ethical AI](https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/2021/06/04/how-cultural-diversity-and-awareness-can-create-a-more-ethical-ai/), Gonzalez-Jimenez, H. How cultural diversity and awareness can create a more ethical AI. LSE Business Review. LSE Public Policy Group, June 4, 2021. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/2021/06/04/how-cultural-diversity-and-awareness-can-create-a-more-ethical-ai/.