Der Divan is pleased to welcome you to the Symposium on Cross-Cultural Artificial Intelligence, organised in cooperation with the Center for Humans & Machines at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar.

We invite you to join us for two days of interdisciplinary exchange, exploring one of today’s most significant questions: How do different cultures perceive AI, and how can we design technology that honours and reflects the cultural diversity of our world?

In an era marked by rapid technological advancement, building AI technologies that are culturally aware, respectful, and inclusive has become increasingly vital. The Symposium stands at this critical juncture, seeking to address this challenge and rethink the foundations of AI through a cross-cultural lens. It will bring together experts in computer science, behavioural science, ethics, law, and cultural studies to bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI technology and the deep, often unspoken ethical and cultural dimensions that underpin our societies. Our goal is not only to discuss how AI can be developed to be culturally sensitive and uphold diverse systems of value, languages, and religious principles but also to address the technical, conceptual, legal, and ethical challenges inherent in this endeavor.

The program will cover a wide range of topics, including:

• Cultural Sensitivity in AI Design: How can AI systems be designed to respect and reflect diverse cultural norms and values?
• Ethical AI Across Cultures: What ethical frameworks can guide AI development in ways that honour different cultural, religious and philosophical traditions?
• Language and Representation: How can we overcome linguistic barriers and biases in AI, ensuring all cultures and languages are represented?
• Legal and Governance Challenges: How do international legal frameworks shape AI development and deployment?
• AI and Cultural Heritage: Can AI help preserve endangered languages and cultural practices while respecting the rights and wishes of indigenous communities?
• Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogues: How can AI facilitate understanding and dialogue between different religious and cultural communities?
• Technical Challenges: What are the limitations and possibilities of developing culturally sensitive AI?
• AI and Culture Wars: How are AI models becoming contested spaces of cultural influence?

School on AI & Culture

October 9, 2025

Ahead of the symposium, we will host a full-day school, welcoming MSc and PhD students from German and international universities. The school will focus on developing better cross-cultural AI systems, exploring topics from Natural Language Processing to the evaluation of Large Language Models.

Students are expected to bring their own laptops and should have prior experience in computer programming, as well as familiarity with modern generative AI technologies, such as LLMs.

Speakers include:

Dr. Rafiya Javed (Google DeepMind)

Prof. Mustafa Jarrar (Hamad Bin Khalifa University & Birzeit University)

Prof. Ingmar Webber (Saarland University)

Dr. Mengchen Dong (Max Planck Institute for Human Development)

Registration for the School on AI & Culture (STUDENTS ONLY!)

Symposium on Cross-Cultural AI

October 10, 2024

Speakers:

Prof. Iyad Rahwan (Max Planck Institute of Human Development)

Prof. Mohammed Ghaly (Hamad Bin Khalifa University)

Prof. Ingmar Webber (Saarland University)

Dr. Rafiya Javed (Google DeepMind)

Prof. Mona Diab (Carnegie Mellon University)

Prof. Mustafa Jarrar (Hamad Bin Khalifa University & Birzeit University)

Dr. Sanjay Chawla (Hamad Bin Khalifa University)

Dr. Hassan Abu Alhaija (NVIDIA)

Prof. Beth Singler (University of Zurich)

Registration for the Symposium on Cross-Cultural AI

INFORMATION & PROGRAM

When: 9-10 October, 2025

Where: Der Divan – Das Arabische Kulturhaus, Schützallee 27, 14169 Berlin

Language: English