Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence have opened unprecedented opportunities for cultural heritage research, enabling scholars, scientists, and communities to study the past, document the present, and envision the future of human societies. Within this broader context, Indigenous cultures worldwide face urgent and intersecting challenges to the continuity of their heritage and the realization of self-determined futures. From large-scale digitization of manuscripts and artifacts to the computational analysis of language and oral traditions, AI tools are transforming how we preserve and interpret cultural data. AI-enabled technologies allow for an unprecedented level of detail and scale, enabling new solutions to sustain heritage and culture. However, access to these powerful AI tools and technologies remain a significant challenge for indigenous communities, who are often marginalized.
The Symposium on AI for Cultural Heritage and Indigenous Futures (AI4CHIEF) is an interdisciplinary forum designed to explore and advance the application of artificial intelligence as a powerful tool for cultural heritage preservation and revitalization. The symposium brings together researchers from a broad array of artificial intelligence fields—such as machine learning, computational linguistics, computer vision and computer science—and humanities and social science disciplines, including digital humanities, cultural Informatics, archaeology, history, anthropology, museum studies, and archival science. AI4CHIEF aims to advance rigorous and reproducible methods, open standards, and community-aligned protocols for documenting, analyzing, and preserving languages, and cultural practices. By fostering collaboration, the symposium seeks to develop innovative, culturally-appropriate solutions for heritage preservation and revitalization that are ethical and beneficial to our society as we build a solid future.
The symposium invites submissions across these main thematic tracks:
Track 1: AI for Cultural Heritage: Explore how AI can document and digitize historical records, artifacts, and intangible cultural practices.
Track 2: AI for Language Preservation: Focus on using AI to create digital archives, dictionaries, and documentation for endangered languages.
Track 3: AI for Language Revitalization: Discuss innovative AI applications, such as language learning apps and conversational agents, to promote the active use of indigenous languages.
Track 4: AI for Environmental and Climate: Examine AI’s role in addressing climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and traditional ecological knowledge.
Track 5: Ethical Frameworks and Data Governance: Address the critical issues of data sovereignty, privacy, and developing ethical AI frameworks in partnership with indigenous communities
Track 6: AI for Community Empowerment and Sovereignty: Highlight how AI can support self-determination, economic development, and resource management within indigenous communities.
We invite a diverse group of researchers, community leaders, and practitioners to join us in this vital effort to leverage AI for a more equitable and sustainable world.