First 2024 Meeting

The meeting provided an opportunity to explore recent developments at the intersection of artificial intelligence and the cultural and creative sectors. Lihui Xu presented the outcomes of the UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of AI, highlighting the readiness assessment methodology (RAM) used by 50 countries to evaluate national AI landscapes, including cultural applications such as heritage restoration and preservation of minority languages. While AI’s potential in cultural preservation is widely recognized, Xu noted gaps in policies and legislation, and recommended strengthening legal frameworks, digital skills, impact assessment, and environmental considerations.

María Iglesias introduced the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, the first comprehensive international legislative framework for AI, outlining its risk-based approach, transparency obligations for general purpose AI, and governance structures including national authorities and the European AI Office. She highlighted opportunities and challenges for creative sectors, linking ongoing initiatives under Creative Europe, Horizon Europe, and other EU programmes to support AI-driven cultural projects.

Elizabeth Wilde summarized insights from the conference “Innovation and Integrity: Museums paving the way in an AI-driven society”, emphasizing the importance of trust, transparency, and investment when integrating AI in museums. Recommendations for policymakers included establishing a clear political vision for museums, providing targeted funding, and creating a European AI innovation hub.

Finally, Antoine Isaac presented the AI4Culture project, which addresses barriers to AI adoption in the cultural heritage sector by developing or adapting AI tools, creating human-validated datasets, and providing upskilling materials. The platform focuses on six key scenarios, including text recognition, translation, semantic metadata enrichment, and image annotation, aiming to make AI more accessible and effective for cultural institutions.

The session underscored the combined need for robust policy frameworks, practical tools, and capacity building to ensure AI supports sustainable, ethical, and impactful cultural innovation.