This qualitative study treats AI as an institutional governance project, not only a teaching or administrative tool. Semistructured interviews with 16 informants, a focus group with nine more participants and document analysis were triangulated. Four themes framed AI as governance and a system-shaping force requiring safeguards, with participant reasoning aligned to Patisambhida: Attha as purpose, Dhamma as principles, Nirutti as communication and Patibhana as judgment, forming a Buddhist Interpretive Governance Framework.
Key findings
- Governance starts with purpose rather than adoption, spans university systems, requires safeguards, and maps Attha, Dhamma, Nirutti and Patibhana to purpose, principle, communication and judgment.
Why this matters globally
The framework adds a non-Western philosophical voice to responsible AI and helps Asian universities connect local values with policy, communication and human judgment rather than technical checklists alone.
Thai researcher contribution
The Rajamangala and Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University team develops the framework from Thai philosophical and higher-education contexts.
Limitations to consider
Small sampled context and researcher interpretation may fit themes to the selected framework. Triangulation improves credibility but not effectiveness. Transfer across institutions and beliefs is uncertain, and no comparison with other governance frameworks is provided.