The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Evolution of Culture

Culture is fundamental to our society, shaping the traditions, ethics, and laws that guide people’s beliefs and behaviors. At the same time, culture is also shaped by people—it evolves as people interact and collectively select, modify, and transmit the beliefs they deem desirable. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more integrated into our lives, it plays an increasing role in how cultural beliefs are (re)shaped and promoted. Using a series of agent-based simulations, we analyze how different ways of integrating AI into society (e.g., national vs. global AI) impact cultural evolution, thereby shaping cultural diversity. We find that less globalized AI can help promote diversity in the short run, but risks eliminating diversity in the long run. This becomes more pronounced the less humans and AI are grounded in each other’s beliefs. Our findings help researchers revisit cultural evolution in the presence of AI and assist policymakers with AI governance.