From Nostalgia to Noir: AI and the Genre Fluidity in Ruskin Bond’s Works

Abstract

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) in literature has sparked ethical debates on creativity, authorship, and human interpretation. AI-driven tools increasingly shape literary analysis, creative writing, and textual interpretation, raising concerns about bias, loss of emotional depth, and ethical governance. As AI becomes more embedded in humanities research, a responsible framework for ethical AI development is essential. This paper explores the intersection of Buddhist philosophy, scientific inquiry and AI ethics in literature, proposing that Buddhist principles mindfulness (sati), wisdom (prajna) and ethical conduct (sila) offer a valuable foundation for addressing these challenges. Drawing from Buddhist epistemology, this study examines how scientific inquiry and AI ethics benefit from mindfulness-based decision-making, emphasizing human oversight in AI-driven literary analysis. It explores Buddhist thought’s role in fostering responsible AI development, compassion-driven technological progress, and ensuring AI serves as an augmentation tool rather than a replacement. Additionally, it analyzes Ruskin Bond’s works through a Buddhist lens, highlighting his meditative storytelling, ecological consciousness and themes of mindfulness, impermanence and simplicity. Bond’s evocative prose, capturing the transient beauty of nature and human experience, raises a critical question: Can AI truly replicate the mindfulness inherent in human literary expression? By integrating literature, philosophy and AI ethics, this study argues that Buddhist ethical principles provide a guiding framework for AI governance in humanities research. It advocates for a balanced AI–human collaboration one that respects cultural, ethical and intellectual literary traditions while leveraging AI’s analytical strengths.