AIF Insights No. 10 (2025) | Buddhist Ethics for AI: Theravāda, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna Perspectives

AIF Insights No. 10 (2025) | Buddhist Ethics for AI: Theravāda, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna Perspectives

This article proposes a Buddhist ethical framework for guiding artificial intelligence (AI) development, highlighting how core Buddhist principles—such as compassion, mindfulness, and interdependence—can address the moral and existential challenges posed by emerging technologies. It critiques the limitations of dominant Western ethical paradigms, particularly utilitarianism and deontology, arguing that they often fail to incorporate the relational and spiritual dimensions of human experience. Drawing from the Eightfold Path and the concept of “right intention,” the essay outlines how a Buddhist-informed approach can promote more humane, inclusive, and sustainable AI systems. Emphasizing inner transformation and ethical mindfulness, the paper positions Buddhism as a crucial intercultural bridge for aligning AI with global human values.