Cultural Heritage

Culture and ICT as Drivers of Sustainable Development 

-- UNESCO

- Overview

Heritage is the legacy of our past, what we live on today, and what we pass on to future generations. Legacy is something that is or should be passed on from generation to generation because it is valued. The concept of cultural heritage is a familiar one: those sites, objects and intangibles that have cultural, historical, aesthetic, archaeological, scientific, ethnological or anthropological value to groups and individuals. The concept of natural heritage is also familiar: physical, biological and geological features; habitats of plant or animal species and areas of value scientifically or aesthetically or from a conservation standpoint. 

Cultural heritage is breathed new life through digital technology and the Internet. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have transformed the way cultural digital resources are created, disseminated, preserved and (re)used. It enables different types of users to participate in cultural digital resources. People now have unprecedented access to cultural materials, and institutions can reach wider audiences, attract new users and develop creative and accessible content for leisure and education. 

New technologies have brought cultural heritage sites back to life, such as representing vast amounts of information from collections (archives, scientific collections, museums, art galleries, visual arts, etc.) through web discovery interfaces, enabling them to be tailored to the needs and inputs of users.

- Artificial Intelligence for Cultural Heritage and Museums

As digital technologies permeate more and more of our lives, artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging, but without fanfare. This once daunting prospect has become a part of our lives, even in areas that don't seem to belong in the futuristic world, such as cultural heritage and museums. The results are both promising and surprising: Recreating a work of art, completing the unfinished work of a great musician, identifying the authorship of an ancient text, or providing architectural details for a potential reconstruction of Notre Dame cathedral seems like years away. former science fiction.

Applying AI to the realm of public culture requires investment in many areas, most notably in infrastructure, equipment, and high-quality human resources. Human resources are essential because AI needs to be fed high-quality data in order to be trained to perform its tasks. Data needs to be interoperable and properly described with metadata. Additionally, copyright issues must be addressed before using this data, and cultural heritage professionals need to learn how to navigate this complex terrain with proficiency.

Let AI serve its cultural heritage and museums. AI can also benefit archaeological and historical research, helping to deepen knowledge and localize sites. 

[China Town, Boston, MA]

- Research Topics in Virtual Heritage

[More to come ...]