Broadening Cultural Perspectives of LLMs--Insights from Sanskrit Literature Pedagogy

Ramya Srinivasan

Keywords: Sanskrit, Pedagogy, Culture, LLMs

TL;DR: lessons from Sanskrit pedagogy towards enhancing trust in LLMs

Abstract: This position paper outlines insights from pedagogy towards enhancing cultural values in LLMs. Specifically, we explore three prominent characteristics of Sanskrit literature pedagogy, namely, the practice of storytelling, the call to gather wider perspectives through commentaries, and the emphasis on reflexive and reflective thinking. We describe through illustrations how these can aid in enhancing cultural values, and thereby also address associated issues such as misinformation and stereotypes. We then map these characteristics into concrete steps in broadening the cultural perspectives of LLMs. Insights from our study outline the need a) to use process tracing methods in understanding cultural attribution, b) to leverage collective intelligence methods in incorporating diverse cultural perspectives, and c) to assess the validity and reliability of cultural constructs through contestable AI frameworks.

Submission Number: 2