Cultural Considerations in AI Systems for the Global South: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is leading transformative impacts across different sectors. However, these advancements are often developed with a Western-centric focus, neglecting the cultural diversity in regions such as the Global South. In this paper, we synthesize twelve research papers focusing on cultural considerations in designing AI systems for the Global South. Our findings revealed a significant focus on domains like healthcare and intelligent assistants and challenges, including usability, AI transparency, and data availability, that can hinder the design and deployment of culturally sensitive AI systems. Moreover, the results demonstrated the need to integrate cultural values to increase the acceptance and usefulness of AI systems for regions in the Global South. This paper guides future research towards developing culturally and contextually relevant AI systems for Africa, highlighting the need for increased visibility and representation of African researchers in HCI and AI domains.