Integrating AI into conservation practices for heritage preservation

The 14th annual academic meeting of the China Association for Conservation Technology of Cultural Heritage, held in September in Urumqi, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, highlighted technological innovation in cultural heritage conservation in the age of artificial intelligence.

The event brought together nearly 500 representatives from cultural heritage institutions, universities, research organizations, and enterprises nationwide. It aimed to explore the mutual reinforcement between technological advancements and cultural heritage preservation, and to examine the integration of AI technologies into conservation practices.

Founded in 1980, the association aims to promote the development of the cultural heritage science and technology discipline and cultivate research and technical talent. It has advanced research, implemented conservation practices, nurtured talent, and made science accessible to the public.

Luo Jing, director of the department of science, technology and education at the National Cultural Heritage Administration, noted at the opening ceremony on Sept 5 that a question the cultural heritage sector must answer today is how to harness and respond to major technological transformations brought by AI.

"Constrained by the non-renewable nature of cultural heritage and the diverse modalities of heritage information, research in this field has long been built on a cognitive chain of small-scale observation, small-sample inductions and narrow-perspective judgment, which relies heavily on researchers' individual talent and accumulated experiences," he said.

The official pointed out that AI can transform data scattered across various heritage preservation scenarios into structured resources that are computable, correlatable, and inferable. This shift will profoundly change how cultural heritage is conserved, managed, and used.

He said China has systematically laid out plans for foundational research and strives for key technological breakthroughs in AI applications for the cultural heritage sector during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30). Major tasks will span risk prevention and control, conservation and restoration, research, management, and utilization.

Luo emphasized that AI applications must strictly adhere to ethical guidelines, ensuring that data is authentic, authoritative and regulated, and that value orientation remains sound.

He hopes the association will bridge government and heritage experts, build a platform for academic exchange, and foster growth platforms for young talent, ensuring established scholars' expertise is passed down to the younger generation.

Wang Xudong, director of the Palace Museum in Beijing and chairman of the association, noted that AI marks a technological leap in cultural heritage conservation, serving as a crucial foundation for the sector to progress from digitalization and informatization toward intelligent transformation. The key challenge is turning AI into real conservation capacity, driving industry development, and achieving tangible results in preserving and passing on Chinese civilization.

He emphasized that AI will not alter the core of cultural heritage conservation — preserving the historical memories, cultural genes and lineage of the Chinese nation carried by relics — nor will it change its fundamental principles of authenticity, integrity and minimal intervention. What AI can transform is the means and capacity through which industry professionals understand, study, and protect cultural relics.

Wang called for enhanced cultivation of interdisciplinary talent who can translate conservation problems into scientific questions, and turn these questions into conservation plans and practices through technology.

"In the future, we need to cultivate not just traditional conservation professionals, but rather AI experts who understand and have a passion for cultural heritage conservation, frontline conservation professionals who understand AI, and heritage science and technology professionals who are knowledgeable in materials science and data science," he said.

Wang Jinzhan, secretary of the Secretariat of the China Association for Science and Technology, which oversees the China Association for Conservation Technology of Cultural Heritage, urged the latter to seize AI-driven opportunities, focusing on areas such as intelligent identification and analysis, nondestructive testing, virtual restoration, and creating "digital twins" of cultural relics.

He stressed the need for capacity building, particularly by empowering young talent to assume leading roles and play a central part, while promoting the integration of science and technology, culture and art, and social sciences.

The annual meeting included discussions on updated research achievements and industry trends, with themed academic symposiums on topics such as intelligent monitoring for relic deterioration; AI-empowered and data-driven conservation of architectural heritage; technological innovation in preserving waterlogged or submerged relics, cave temples and earthen sites; and the restoration of excavated relics and museum collections.