Jeju AI Art Class Empowers Global Youth Through Culture and Technology with UNESCO
Image Credit: Julien Tromeur | Splash
A pioneering initiative blending artificial intelligence with cultural education, the “Jeju Culture Global AI Art Class”, has completed its 2025 program, marking the first year of a three-year collaboration between UNESCO’s Regional Office for East Asia and South Korea’s Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. The program, designed to empower international youth, integrates Jeju’s cultural heritage with AI technology to foster cross-cultural understanding and artistic innovation.
Program Overview and Participation
The 2025 Jeju Culture Global AI Art Class, part of a 2025-2027 initiative, engaged 85 middle school and university students from 11 countries and cities, including Vienna, Madrid, Ulaanbaatar, Ha Noi, Ningbo, Okinawa, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Bogota, and Santiago. The curriculum combined online and offline learning, featuring lectures on Jeju’s UNESCO-listed sites, such as Hallasan Natural Reserve and Geomunoreum Lava Tube System, alongside training in AI-driven creative production. Students used AI tools to create art, music, and digital content, showcasing their works in an exhibition.
The hybrid format enabled participants to explore Jeju’s volcanic landscapes and intangible cultural heritage while learning AI applications like generative art and digital storytelling. UNESCO stated the initiative aims to equip youth with skills to bridge technology and culture, promoting global dialogue.
AI and Arts Forum at Jeju AI Global Film Festival
On June 9, 2025, the Jeju AI Global Film Festival hosted a Forum on AI and Arts, moderated by Duong Bich Hanh, Chief of Culture at UNESCO’s Regional Office for East Asia. The panel, including the Jeju AI Art Class administrator, international instructors, and a student representative, discussed AI’s role in arts education, cultural preservation, and promoting local heritage globally. They highlighted AI’s potential to democratize creative access while addressing ethical challenges, such as ensuring equitable access and preventing cultural homogenization, aligning with UNESCO’s 2021 Recommendation on the Ethics of AI.
AI’s Role in Culture: Opportunities and Challenges
AI’s integration into cultural education offers significant benefits. It enhances creativity by enabling students to experiment with AI-generated art, as demonstrated in the Jeju program’s exhibitions. Virtual platforms also connect diverse global participants, reducing geographical barriers and promoting Jeju’s cultural heritage, potentially boosting tourism.
However, challenges remain. AI’s reliance on digital infrastructure risks excluding communities without reliable internet, with UNESCO noting one-third of the world remains offline. Concerns about AI perpetuating cultural biases or raising copyright issues in AI-generated art were also raised, echoing discussions at the 3rd UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of AI, held in Bangkok from June 24-27, 2025.
Global AI Ethics Context
The Jeju program aligns with UNESCO’s broader mission to advance ethical AI use, as emphasized at the 3rd Global Forum in Bangkok, co-hosted by Thailand. The forum, attended by over 1,000 participants from 88 countries, evaluated progress on UNESCO’s 2021 Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, the first global standard endorsed by 194 member states. Key outcomes included Thailand’s launch of the AI Governance Practice Center (AIGPC), the first in Asia-Pacific, to promote ethical AI practices, and a tripartite agreement to train 10,000 AI professionals.
Discussions focused on balancing AI innovation with human rights, gender equality, and sustainability. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra emphasized “AI for Every Human”, with initiatives like AI-ready schools planned for 10 countries by 2026.
Background and Development
The Jeju initiative reflects UNESCO’s commitment to responsible AI integration, building on tools like the Global AI Ethics Observatory and Readiness Assessment Methodology. It also aligns with South Korea’s AI innovation focus, seen in events like the 2025 APEC meetings. Jeju’s role leverages its UNESCO World Heritage status and growing AI innovation profile, as evidenced by the Jeju Global AI Film Contest.
The program responds to the rise of AI-generated content reshaping creative industries, with applications in cultural preservation, such as digitizing traditional art forms. By targeting youth, it aims to foster a generation adept at balancing technology and cultural sensitivity.
TheDayAfterAI News
We are a leading AI-focused digital news platform, combining AI-generated reporting with human editorial oversight. By aggregating and synthesizing the latest developments in AI — spanning innovation, technology, ethics, policy and business — we deliver timely, accurate and thought-provoking content.