Defining Cultural Capabilities for AI Evaluation: A Taxonomy Grounded in Intercultural Communication Theory

2026-05-15

AI Summary

Current AI systems face ambiguous evaluation in cross-cultural contexts due to the absence of a unified definition of cultural competence, often leading to misleading deployment decisions. This work addresses this gap by drawing on intercultural communication theory to propose, for the first time, a systematic three-tier framework—comprising cultural awareness, cultural sensitivity, and cultural competence—that integrates insights from intercultural communication studies with AI evaluation paradigms. Through theoretical modeling and conceptual analysis, the study formulates an operationalizable assessment framework for cultural competence in AI systems. This construct significantly enhances the validity, interpretability, and deployment safety of AI evaluations in multicultural environments.

Abstract

Tremendous efforts have been put into evaluating the inclusivity and effectiveness of AI systems across cultures. However, the cultural capabilities considered in much of the literature remain vaguely defined, are referred to using interchangeable terminology, and are typically limited to recalling accurate information about various demographics, regions, and nationalities. To address this construct ambiguity, we draw from Intercultural Communication scholarship and propose a three-level taxonomy of AI-relevant cultural capabilities: Cultural Awareness answers"Does the model know?", Cultural Sensitivity answers"How does it frame its knowledge?", and Cultural Competence answers"Can it adapt as the interaction evolves?". Beyond conceptual clarification, we position this taxonomy as a practical tool for improving the validity and interpretability of AI evaluation in real-world, multicultural settings. Without such construct clarity, evaluation results risk overstating model capabilities and may lead to inappropriate deployment decisions in culturally sensitive contexts.

Problem

• cultural capabilities
• AI evaluation
• intercultural communication
• construct ambiguity
• multicultural settings

Innovation

• Cultural Awareness
• Cultural Sensitivity
• Cultural Competence
• Intercultural Communication
• AI Evaluation