Against Collective Vulnerability : Understanding Cultural Alignment in LLMs (Not Only) in Central Europe and Calling Design Research to Help

Kateřina, Marková (2025) Against Collective Vulnerability : Understanding Cultural Alignment in LLMs (Not Only) in Central Europe and Calling Design Research to Help. DISEGNO: A DESIGNKULTÚRA FOLYÓIRATA, 9 (1). pp. 68-89. ISSN 2064-7778

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Abstract

Large language models promise ef ficiency and personalisation, yet they also carry Global North values that may conf lict with regional principles and distort human mental models. When profit-driven technological development meets personalisation, the risk of f lattening cultural diversity into a computational mean grows, which can be interpreted in terms of collective vulnerability. I argue that this ef fect is not unique to Central Europe but is shared across all linguistic and cultural communities, albeit for slightly dif ferent reasons. Using a Czech-language experiment I explore how design research practices can help us understand the phenomenon known as epistemic cultural f lattening. Finally, I chart a possible path to improving cultural alignment as one of the elements that can help us toward better personalised AI tools.

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