AI for Community
Preserving Culture and Tradition
Fernando Gonzalez author Iran Davar Ardalan author Amir Banifatemi author Myles Ingram author Reza Moradinezhad author Lucretia Williams author
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd
Published:15th Jun '25
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
This paperback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback£125.00(9781032852119)

AI for Community begins with a simple truth: artificial intelligence is now part of the evolution of human life. The question is not whether we use it, but how we shape it. This book explores how AI can preserve cultural heritage, strengthen human agency, and deepen cultural understanding through community-driven design.
The concept of Cultural AI was first shared on the global stage at the AI for Good Summit in Geneva in 2019, where technologists and storytellers gathered to imagine a future where machines could learn from ancestral wisdom. From NVIDIA’s collaboration with Te Hiku Media to protect the Māori language to UNESCO’s global initiatives in cultural preservation, the book shows how Cultural AI can serve as a bridge between generations.
Authored by a multigenerational, multicultural team, it highlights grounded, human-centered projects shaped by lived experience. These include the Indigenous Knowledge Graph; Howard University’s Project Elevate Black Voices, developed with Google; and Laleh AI, which preserves and extends the knowledge of the late Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar, a pioneering thinker whose work in psychology, spirituality, and translation continues to echo across time.
This book interweaves Community Voices sections between chapters, featuring interviews that explore the role and implementation of AI in new arenas. Each chapter is also supported by online resources, accessible as podcasts, videos, and articles that provide multimedia ways to deepen understanding of culturally aware AI.
AI for Community highlights how community-driven language preservation, storytelling, and design can empower cultures and protect their heritage. It is a vital resource for those seeking to create AI that respects and uplifts communities.
"This is a groundbreaking and essential work that reimagines how we build AI, grounded in empathy, ethics, and respect for all cultures. It demonstrates that creating systems which reflect global heritage, support community voices, and protect human agency is not only necessary, it’s entirely achievable. By integrating real-world perspectives, it delivers both practical insight and timely relevance."
Angela Kim, Head of Data Analytics & AI, AIA; Chief, Women in AI APAC
"This masterful work reveals AI's profound capacity to safeguard and elevate cultural heritage through authentic community partnership. The authors elegantly weave together diverse voices, illuminating AI's role in our shared human narrative while addressing language revitalization and inclusive innovation. An indispensable resource for technologists, community leaders, and policymakers architecting our collective AI future."
Reza Olfati-Saber, AI Scientist and Executive in EdTech and Healthcare
"This inspiring collection stands at the vanguard of a new kind of tech future, one where AI honors, rather than erases, our shared humanity. Edited by Davar Ardalan, it shows what’s possible when innovation is guided by empathy, cultural memory, and the voices of elders and tradition keepers. From endangered languages to indigenous songs, it offers a powerful vision of technology in service of belonging."
- Susan Akbarpour, Managing Partner Candou Ventures.
"AI for Community is a compelling collection of perspectives on how AI can enrich humanity while earning the trust of diverse communities. Through powerful examples—ranging from preserving languages, art, and cultural traditions to embodiment of scholars and examining the challenges of building trustworthy, inclusive AI—this book shines light on the critical questions communities must resolve as they embrace AI. A thought-provoking and deeply enjoyable read."
Shabnam Erfani,Product Management Executive
"A lot has been written about the dangers of AI. This inspiring book shows AI can also be used to do wonderful things for our society."
Joe Palca, former NPR science correspondent.
"This book is unique in the ways it addresses how AI can help in preserving our world’s cultures and diversity. It reflects on how to make AI more representative, how to use it to preserve cultural heritage, how to build culturally aware AI, and how to preserve human agency in the AI world. The book’s thoughtful examination of the need for responsible governance and care in the development and deployment of AI technologies in this cultural context is particularly timely and insightful. It challenges readers to think critically about how to preserve cultures and what societies we want to build with AI. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in exploring the intersection of AI technology, culture, and humanity."
Gilles Fayad,Philanthropist, global AI expert, IEEE, GPAI
ISBN: 9781032846620
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 320g
186 pages