On Friday, 11 September, an international conference entitled “Generative Traditions: Living Heritage and Artificial Intelligence. New Horizons – Exploring Cultural Possibilities” was held at the National Gallery – Alexandros Soutsos Museum in Athens. The conference was organised by the Ministry of Culture, through the Directorate of Modern Cultural Heritage, in cooperation with the Secretariat of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, with the support of the Permanent Delegation of Greece to UNESCO.
The conference provided an international forum for dialogue on the opportunities and challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence in the field of intangible cultural heritage, bringing together representatives of international organisations, academics, researchers and cultural professionals. Dr Maria-Daphne Papadopoulou, acting Director of the Hellenic Copyright Organization, participated in the Round Table “Public Policies and Directions for the Future: Shaping a Research and Policy Agenda”, alongside representatives of UNESCO, Creative Commons, the National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), and the University of the Aegean.
Dr Papadopoulou’s contribution highlighted the importance of copyright in the emerging field at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and cultural heritage, as well as the role of the legal and institutional framework in shaping a responsible and sustainable digital future for culture.
The conference addressed, among other topics, the use of Artificial Intelligence for the documentation and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage, the transmission of knowledge and traditional practices, the role and participation of communities, as well as ethical, regulatory and copyright issues. Particular emphasis was placed on the need for human-centred and community-centred approaches, with respect for the knowledge, practices and rights of the communities that are the bearers of living cultural heritage. At the same time, the need to develop appropriate policies and directions for the responsible and sustainable use of new technologies in the cultural sector was highlighted.
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View photos from the event
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