Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage

- Overview

Cultural heritage is a fairly broad term that can apply to both the tangible - the physical places and objects we can touch - and the intangible - the stories, songs and celebrations we experience in the moment. 

Cultural heritage is essential for defining the identity of a group of people. Tangible cultural heritage, such as artwork, tools, and monuments, are physical assets of the culture. Intangible culture heritage, such as festivals, legends, and dancers, are intellectual or abstract assets of the culture. 

Tangible and intangible heritage require different methods of preservation and protection, which was one of the main motivations for the conception and ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

- Tangible Cultural Heritage

Tangible cultural heritage refers to physical cultural relics that are produced, maintained and transmitted across generations in a society. It includes artistic creations, architectural heritage (such as buildings and monuments), and other tangible or tangible products of human creativity that have cultural significance in society. 

- Intangible Cultural Heritage

Intangible cultural heritage means communities, groups, and in some cases individuals that recognize as their cultural heritage'. Examples of intangible heritage are oral traditions, performing arts, local knowledge and traditional skills.  

- Empowering Cultural Heritage with AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is used in many ways to preserve, promote, and make cultural heritage more accessible:

• Preservation: AI can help preserve cultural heritage by monitoring the health of historical sites and alerting preservationists to potential problems. For example, AI-powered image recognition can detect early signs of water damage or erosion.
• Accessibility: AI can make cultural heritage more accessible to the public by creating virtual exhibitions, online platforms, and educational tools. AI-powered translation software can also make documents, manuscripts, and texts more accessible to speakers of different languages.
• Research: AI can support research by helping researchers study cultural heritage items. For example, AI can be used to reconstruct art, complete unfinished compositions, and identify the author of an ancient text.
• Tourism: AI can create virtual and augmented reality (AR) experiences that make exploring cultural sites more immersive and informative. For example, tourists can use AI-powered computer vision algorithms to access detailed information about landmarks and artworks.
• Combat trafficking: AI can be incorporated into custom screening procedures to help authorities combat the illicit trafficking of cultural goods and artworks.

However, there are challenges to applying AI in the public cultural domain, including accuracy, cultural sensitivity, and original work preservation.

This means using computers to help preserve, study and share cultural treasures such as ancient buildings, artworks and traditions. The capacity of AI to improve the conservation, accessibility, and interaction with cultural assets is enormous.

[More to come ...]