Cultural Perspectives and Expectations for Generative AI: A Global Survey Approach

2026-03-05

AI Summary

This study addresses the empirical gap in understanding how users across the globe expect generative AI to represent culture. Through a multi-continental survey, qualitative content analysis, and cultural dimension modeling, it systematically collects and analyzes perspectives from users in Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa regarding their conceptualizations of cultural meaning and expectations for AI’s cultural representation. The research yields the first community-derived operational definition of culture grounded in user self-reports. It proposes a culturally responsive framework that transcends geographic boundaries, identifies cultural “red lines” to inform sensitivity handling, and culminates in a participatory design and cultural sensitivity guideline tailored for generative AI development.

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: User Experience and Usability
• Philosophy and Ethics of AI: Artificial General Intelligence
• Natural Language Processing: Generation

Application Category

• Social Networks and Social Media: Generative AI / large language models and their impact on social systems
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics for personalization
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Economic ramifications for generative AI infrastructure and applications

Abstract

There is a lack of empirical evidence about global attitudes around whether and how GenAI should represent cultures. This paper assesses understandings and beliefs about culture as it relates to GenAI from a large-scale global survey. We gathered data about what culture means to different groups, and about how GenAI should approach the representation of cultural artifacts, concepts, or values. We distill working definitions of culture directly from these communities to build an understanding of its conceptual complexities and how they relate to representations in Generative AI. We survey from across parts of Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Africa. We conclude with a set of recommendations for Culture and GenAI development. These include participatory approaches, prioritizing specific cultural dimensions beyond geography, such as religion and tradition, and a sensitivity framework for addressing cultural ``redlines''.

Problem

• Generative AI
• culture representation
• global attitudes
• cultural values
• empirical evidence

Innovation

• Generative AI
• cultural representation
• global survey
• participatory design
• cultural sensitivity