When Algorithms Read Folklore: AI, Simulated Reception, and Cross-Cultural Studies of Literary Interpretation

Andi Inayah Soraya; Rezky   Ramadhani; Muthmainnah Bahri A.   Bohang

doi:10.31849/2xqk6b53

Authors

Andi Inayah Soraya Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia.
Rezky Ramadhani Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia.
Muthmainnah Bahri A. Bohang Universitas Sembilan Belas November, Kolaka, Indonesia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31849/2xqk6b53

Keywords:

Artificial intelligence , Critical AI literacy, Cross-cultural studies , Folklore, Literary education, Reception theory

Abstract

As artificial intelligence increasingly enters literary classrooms and digital humanities research, the question is no longer whether AI can produce interpretations, but whether it can meaningfully “read” culturally embedded texts. This study addresses a critical gap in AI-literature scholarship: limited attention has been given to AI-generated interpretation as a form of simulated reception, particularly in cross-cultural folklore contexts where meaning depends on emotion, moral judgment, and cultural situatedness. Grounded in reader-response and reception theory, this qualitative comparative study examines human and AI responses to four folktales: Bawang Merah Bawang Putih, Timun Mas, Cinderella, and Jack and the Beanstalk. Data were drawn from 30 undergraduate students’ reader responses and AI-generated interpretations using the same interpretive prompts. The analysis focused on three dimensions: intellectual, emotional, and cultural interpretation. The findings show that human readers produced varied, affective, morally evaluative, and culturally grounded responses, while AI generated structurally coherent but consistently affirmative interpretations. AI responses displayed algorithmic positivity, emotional flattening, and cultural abstraction, especially when confronting moral ambiguity, gendered agency, suffering, punishment, and cross-cultural value conflict. The originality of this study lies in conceptualizing AI as a simulated reader rather than an interpretive subject and in showing how folklore exposes the cultural limits of algorithmic interpretation. The study contributes to literary education, reception theory, folklore studies, and digital humanities by positioning AI not as a replacement for human interpretation, but as a comparative artifact for developing critical AI literacy and culturally responsive literary pedagogy.

Author Biographies

Andi Inayah Soraya, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia.

Andi Inayah Soraya is a senior lecturer, researcher, and cultural enthusiast specializing in literature, folklore, and English language education. She completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Literature at Hasanuddin University. Her academic interests focus on cultural studies, digital literacy, folklore, literary interpretation, and language learning innovation. She has actively conducted research and community service programs related to South Sulawesi culture and educational development.
Rezky Ramadhani, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia.

Rezky Ramadhani, S.S., M.Litt is a lecturer and researcher in the field of English Literature at Hasanuddin University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Literature from Hasanuddin University and a Master of Letters (M.Litt) in English Literary Studies from University of Aberdeen. Her research interests include comparative literature, mythology, feminism, cultural studies, language attitudes, and English language education. She has conducted research on local language preservation and cultural identity, particularly focusing on the Konjonese language community in South Sulawesi.
Muthmainnah Bahri A. Bohang, Universitas Sembilan Belas November, Kolaka, Indonesia.

Muthmainnah Bahri A. Bohang, S.S., M.Hum. is a Senior lecturer and researcher at Universitas Sembilanbelas November Kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Her academic interests include English language teaching, EFL learning, language education, curriculum studies, gender and women’s empowerment, educational technology, and literature. She has published numerous scholarly works on English language pedagogy, vocabulary development, learner self-efficacy, speaking skills, artificial intelligence in language learning, and educational innovation.

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