Wisdom as a Service (WaaS) - A Pluralist Ethical Framework for AI Rooted in Non-European Traditions
Keywords:
- Ethical AI,
- Wisdom as a service,
- Non-European wisdom,
- Wisdom learning institutes,
- Topological data analysis,
- Virtue ethics,
- Autonomous vehicles,
- Epistemic injustice,
- Decolonial critique,
- Classical Indian philosophy,
- Nyāya,
- Yoga sutras
Abstract
This paper proposes Wisdom as a Service (WaaS), an ethical framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI) that integrates non-European wisdom traditions Ubuntu, Shri Vidya, Dao, Kabbalistic Sephirot, Sufi Tawhid, and Dzogchen to prioritize relationality, contextual sensitivity, and metaphysical pluralism. WaaS employs a three-layered architecture (axiomatic base, discernment, recursive repair and review) implemented on classical computing using hybrid symbolic-connectionist models, Topological Data Analysis (TDA), sheaf theory, and Graph Neural Networks (GNNs). To enrich its philosophical foundations and address limitations of existing approaches, WaaS incorporates epistemological insights from the classical Indian Nyāya school of logic and ethical principles from the yoga sutras’ Yamas and Niyamas. A decolonial critique underscores the necessity of moving beyond Western-centric ethical frameworks. Wisdom Learning Institutes are proposed as global hubs to formalize these principles, counter epistemic injustice, and mitigate data colonialism. A case study in autonomous vehicles tests WaaS’s ability to reduce ethical regret and enhance cross-cultural acceptability, with metrics including litigation rates and ethical Turing tests. WaaS addresses biases, inequalities, and environmental concerns, offering a scalable, sustainable model for ethical AI governance that aligns with equitable economic transformation.
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