Ethical AI in Yoga: Lessons From Yama and Niyama

The chapter addresses the ethical vacuum in the development of artificial intelligence for yoga. The chapter identifies that many wellness technologies are reducing the holistic practice of yoga to physical performance alone and as such, create significant risks of algorithmic harm, data exploitation and user dependency. The author suggests that the ten foundational principles of ethics by Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras (the five yamas – social restraints & the five niyamas – personal observances) provide a framework for responsible innovation in AI. The author outlines the mapping of each principle of the five yamas to the five niyamas to the challenges and solutions of AI design, including ahimsa (non-harming) to svadhyaya (self-reflection). Through this process, the author proposes a new paradigm of “Sattvic Technology,” which is designed to develop AI systems that support inner inquiry and holistic well-being, rather than simply quantify and gamify the practice of yoga.