The comprehensive advent of the artificial intelligence (AI) era has brought unprecedented opportunities and challenges for the cross-cultural communication of Chinese ethnic arts. Against the backdrop of intertwined globalization and digitalization, leveraging AI technology to achieve effective international dissemination of China's ethnic arts is crucial not only for enhancing cultural soft power but also for protecting and developing the diversity of human civilization. This report will systematically analyze the current applications, core mechanisms, and future directions of AI in the cross-cultural communication of Chinese ethnic arts, exploring a balance between technological empowerment and cultural essence to provide academic reference for building a more equitable and diverse global cultural ecosystem.
AI technology provides multi-dimensional solutions for the digital preservation and creative transformation of Chinese ethnic arts. In terms of preserving cultural genes, AI enables comprehensive, high-precision digital collection of ethnic art elements. For instance, image recognition technology allows for accurate identification and digital storage of ancient texts and literature from ethnic minorities, while 3D modeling technology can digitally recreate props, scenes, and the distinct cultural forms of traditional festivals and rituals, ensuring their complete preservation. At the level of creating immersive experiences, new technologies like Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) provide global audiences with immersive ways to experience culture. Some museums utilize VR technology in exhibitions, allowing visitors to transcend time and space constraints and immersively experience the daily life, festival celebrations, and traditional craftsmanship of various ethnic groups. Regarding intelligent dissemination and push-notification, big data analytics and AI algorithmic recommendation technologies enable targeted communication based on the interests, region, age, and other characteristics of different audiences. Some short video platforms use AI algorithms to analyze user viewing behavior data, precisely pushing outstanding traditional cultural short videos that match user interests, thereby enhancing communication efficiency and effectiveness.
The core challenge of cross-cultural communication lies in the accurate transmission of deep cultural connotations, and AI demonstrates unique value in this area. Through three levels – language translation, artistic form innovation, and value transmission – AI assists Chinese ethnic arts in transitioning from simple symbol dissemination to deep cultural interpretation. At the language level, significant progress in intelligent translation technology provides effective tools for overcoming language barriers. Current intelligent translation can achieve relatively accurate real-time translation between multiple languages, rapidly translating ethnic cultural works such as literature, music, and film/television productions into various languages for international distribution. In terms of artistic form innovation, AI technology facilitates the organic integration of ethnic art elements with modern aesthetic needs. This approach preserves the spiritual core of ethnic arts while endowing them with contemporary forms of expression. At the level of value transmission, AI technology helps translate the profound cultural values embedded within Chinese ethnic arts into forms understandable to international audiences. Chinese ethnic arts carry rich philosophical ideas, aesthetic concepts, and ethical values, such as the core concepts of "the unity of heaven and man," "Dao following nature," and "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom." AI technology can connect these abstract values with globally concerned issues like environmental protection and world peace, resonating with overseas audiences. However, risks of cultural discount or misinterpretation during translation require vigilance. As experts point out, most data and samples in current AIGC resource pools originate from the English-speaking world, inevitably presenting a monoculture dominated by Western culture and one-dimensional cultural values.
For the cross-cultural communication of Chinese ethnic arts to have a profound impact, it must move beyond technical display at the formal level and touch the deep dimension of emotional resonance. AI technology, by uncovering universal human emotions, creating immersive experiences, and promoting interactive participation, provides new possibilities for emotional dialogue across cultural boundaries. Despite differing cultural backgrounds, humans share basic emotional structures and psychological needs, such as the appreciation of beauty, nostalgia for homeland, and the search for meaning in life. AI technology, through affective computing and data analysis, can accurately identify and highlight these common emotional elements within ethnic arts, making them bridges connecting audiences from different cultures. The immersive experiences created by AI technology can significantly enhance the effect of emotional transmission. Through technologies like VR and AR, audiences can immersively experience the cultural context and emotional atmosphere behind ethnic arts, thereby establishing deeper emotional connections. For example, some museums using VR technology allow visitors to immersively experience daily life, festivals, and traditional crafts of various ethnic groups, not only imparting knowledge but also stimulating emotional resonance. This experience far surpasses passive viewing; it activates the audience's empathy mechanism through multi-sensory participation, transforming cultural understanding from a cognitive level to an internal emotional identification. The rise of interactive creation platforms further deepens emotional bonds by turning global audiences from passive viewers into active participants. Through AI creation tools, people can participate in the creative process of artistic works, integrating their ideas with ethnic cultural elements.
The deep integration of AI is driving a fundamental transformation in the paradigm of cross-cultural communication for Chinese ethnic arts. This paradigm shift is mainly reflected in three dimensions: the subjects of communication, the content of communication, and the mode of communication, collectively outlining a new ecology for the future international dissemination of ethnic arts. Traditionally, the cross-cultural communication of ethnic arts primarily followed a one-way transmission model, with cultural institutions or media companies as the main actors, pushing selected cultural content to international audiences through specific channels. The proliferation of AI technology is diversifying the subjects of communication and placing greater emphasis on interaction and feedback in the process. Through low-threshold AI creation tools, ordinary users can also participate in the re-creation and dissemination of ethnic arts. However, the process of paradigm reshaping is accompanied by challenges and ethical considerations. The AIGC-driven revolution in image generation has profoundly impacted traditional concepts of "image authenticity," "auteur theory," and aesthetic categories of realism. When the expressions of ethnic art can be infinitely generated and modified by AI, maintaining their cultural authenticity and integrity becomes an urgent problem. Furthermore, issues like cultural fragmentation and reinforcement of stereotypes potentially caused by algorithmic recommendations require alertness. Future ethnic art communication needs to find a balance between technological innovation and cultural heritage, establishing reasonable ethical norms and evaluation mechanisms to ensure AI truly promotes cultural diversity rather than cultural homogenization.
AI technology has opened up new possibilities for the cross-cultural communication of Chinese ethnic arts, while also presenting profound challenges. At the level of technological application, AI significantly enhances the efficiency and reach of ethnic art communication through digital preservation, immersive experiences, and intelligent push-notification. At the level of cultural connotation, AI-assisted cultural translation and the construction of emotional resonance contribute to the accurate transmission and deep acceptance of the essence of ethnic arts. At the level of communication paradigms, the AI-promoted two-way co-creation model is fostering a more equitable and diverse global cultural dialogue ecosystem. However, the risk of cultural oversimplification and loss of meaning due to technology-driven approaches remains a concern.
Only by balancing technological application with cultural depth can AI truly become a bridge promoting mutual learning among civilizations, rather than a new cultural barrier. The cross-cultural communication of Chinese ethnic arts is a long-term and complex systematic project. The incorporation of AI technology has injected new vitality and variables into this project. With the continuous evolution of technology and changes in the global cultural landscape, we need to constantly reflect and adjust our communication strategies. This will enable Chinese ethnic arts not only to be protected as cultural heritage but also to participate as living cultural genes in constructing the future vision of a community with a shared future for mankind.
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