The seminar series was developed in collaboration between the B’AI Global Forum at the University of Tokyo1, the Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge2, the Center for Science and Thought at the University of Bonn, and the University of Europe for Applied Sciences3. From October 2024 to January 2025, it hosted 10 sessions4 in various formats, and brought together researchers working on AI and digital technologies of all career stages from a variety of disciplines. The series’ goal was to bridge perspectives from the arts and sciences, with a particular emphasis on encouraging students with technical and engineering backgrounds to engage with ethical issues surrounding AI.
Under the framework of “Dialogue for Desirable AI ”, the seminar series realised the following key initiatives:
1. Dialogue between Academia and Civil Society
Going beyond technical discussions, the project engaged citizens from diverse backgrounds in dialogues grounded in theoretical frameworks such as Indigenous AI and Feminist AI. By addressing ethical issues and social impacts of AI and questioning the cultural biases and social structures embedded in AI development and use, the project promoted participatory and deliberative ethical discourse.
2. Global Collaboration and Dissemination
In addition to collaboration among research institutions in Japan, Germany, and the UK, researchers from all over the world participated, enabling the sharing of locally rooted perspectives on technology from a global viewpoint. The project also emphasised sustained dissemination through initiatives such as the public release of video archives and the planned publication of a special issue in an academic journal.
3. Reconstructing AI Narratives
Moving beyond the dystopia/utopia binary, the project proposed realistic and inclusive visions for the future. It created a platform to explore the limitations and possibilities of AI technology from multiple perspectives, taking into account societal challenges such as disability, inequality, sustainability, the digital afterlife industry (DAI), and legal regulations surrounding creative activities and intellectual property.
All previous sessions were recorded and can be found on youtube or in our video archive: https://www.desirableai.com/cross-cultural-approaches5
The project is set to carry on, with the second seminar series starting in Autumn 2025. A special issue bringing together the academic insights from the seminars is also currently in the works.
AI ELSI Award (Perspective Division)
The AI ELSI Award recognises diverse activities related to AI ethics and the relationship between AI and society. It is administered by the Ethics Committee of the Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence6. Now in its third iteration, this year’s ELSI Award was divided into three categories: the Perspective Division, the Practice Division, and a Special Division.
Among them, the Perspective Division—of which the seminar series was the recipient—honours initiatives that offer outstanding ethical perspectives on the future direction of AI research. Eligible activities include not only academic papers but also workshops, conferences, and media productions. The selection process was carried out by a judging panel composed of members of the JSAI Ethics Committee and experts from both within and outside the academic society.