A Half-Day Roundtable

Hinduism and AI

A Roundtable

Hindu Thought and the Design, Use, and Governance of Intelligent Systems

University of CambridgeThursday, 17 September 2026In person · 15–20 participants
Request to ParticipateRead the Framing

Convened By

Stanford Law AI Initiative
Centre for Human-Inspired Artificial Intelligence
BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute

आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतः।

“Let noble thoughts come to us from all directions.”

Ṛgveda · 1.89.1

The Occasion

A Formative Moment for an Ancient Conversation

Format
Two working sessions · half a day, one table
Aim
Practical rather than comparative
Spirit
Across the darśanas · plural by design

AI has reopened some of the oldest questions in philosophy, and Hindu thought has an important perspective to bring to them. What consciousness is, how knowledge is validly acquired, how a workable set of values can be developed for use across many cultures, traditions, and contexts, where authority and provenance come from — these are questions the Hindu darśanas (schools of philosophy) have worked on for many millennia.

The darśanas have developed careful accounts of consciousness and the self, rigorous theories of valid knowledge, error, and interpretation, and sustained reflection on dharma as contextual, plural, and dynamic.

AI itself is at a formative stage. This is a pivotal moment to bring these traditions into the conversation, ensuring the directions taken are more deliberate and well-considered.

Those foundations are being set in the architectures researchers are designing, the training methods companies are adopting, and the regulatory frameworks governments are drafting. The aim is practical: to ask what Hindu thought, across its many schools, can contribute to the way intelligent systems are designed, used, and governed.

The Programme

Order of the Day

A half-day session in two structured conversations — from foundations to practice.
Timings will be circulated with the venue confirmation.

  1. Arrival
    Welcome & Introductions
  2. Session I · Foundations
    Darśana दर्शन

    Hindu philosophy on intelligence, mind, and knowledge — consciousness, the self, and the means of valid knowledge.

  3. Interval
    Lunch & Conversation
  4. Session II · Governance & Practice
    Dharma धर्म

    From foundations to practice — three themes across design, deployment, and governance.

  5. Close
    Closing Reflections

    Threads drawn together; directions for continued collaboration.

Session I

Darśana दर्शन

Foundations

How does Hindu philosophy contribute to our understanding of intelligence, the mind, and knowledge? The session takes up consciousness, the self, and the means of valid knowledge.

Guiding questions might include —

  1. IHow is the witnessing consciousness of Vedānta categorically different from computation?
  2. IIWhat does the distinction between the conscious self and insentient matter mean for machine personhood?
  3. IIICan the pramāṇas and theories of error inform the development and assessment of AI systems?
  4. IVHow can discussions on dharma shape how systems define rules, context, and decisions?
Session II

Dharma धर्म

Governance & Practice

The second session turns from foundations to practice, across three themes — design, deployment, and governance.

Guiding questions might include —

  1. IDesign. How can systems hold different ethical frameworks at once, fitted to the recipient’s capacity and context, rather than collapsing into a single default?
  2. IIDeployment. What should builders understand about Hindu religious and ethical practice — and how does the technology shape that practice in turn?
  3. IIIGovernance. How should authority and lineage, obligations over a community’s data, and representation in models and media bear on law and policy?

The questions throughout are illustrative; the final shape of each session will be developed with participants ahead of the day.

Who Will Convene

Three Sectors on Shared Ground

01

The Darśanas

Scholars and practitioners of the Hindu schools of philosophy — bringing millennia of sustained thought on consciousness, knowledge, and duty.

02

AI & Technology

Technologists and researchers building and studying intelligent systems — those laying the technical foundations now.

03

Academy & Policy

Academics in philosophy, religious studies, law, and policy — connecting the conversation to institutions and governance.

Convening delegates from these three sectors opens new ground for discussion.

Distinguished Speakers

Mohak ShroffMohak ShroffPresident, Platforms & Digital WorkMicrosoft
Convened By

The Host Institutions

Stanford Law AI Initiative
AI Law Initiative
Stanford Law School

Examining how law and governance should meet artificial intelligence, at one of the world’s leading law schools.

Centre for Human-Inspired Artificial Intelligence
Centre for Human-Inspired Artificial Intelligence
University of Cambridge

An interdisciplinary centre advancing AI inspired by, and in service of, human capability and wellbeing.

BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute
BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute
BAPS Swaminarayan Research

Advancing scholarship in the Hindu traditions, based at Swaminarayan Akshardham, New Delhi.

Logistics

Details at a Glance

Date
Thursday, 17 September 2026
A half-day session
Venue
University of Cambridge
Venue to be confirmed shortly
Format
In-person roundtable
15–20 invited participants

An Invitation

It would be a great privilege to welcome you to this roundtable. The subject is one we believe you will find worth the time, and your contribution to the discussion would be much valued.

Register Your Interest