Quantum est in Libris: Navigating Archives with GenAI, Uncovering Tension Between Preservation and Innovation
This work addresses the problem of balancing preservation and innovation in cultural heritage for archivists and technologists, though it is incremental as it applies existing AI methods to new data.
The paper tackled the challenge of integrating archival materials from the Estonian National Museum with modern AI technology, specifically using Runway Gen-3 and Gen-4 video models to create interactive experiences, resulting in an exploration of how machines interpret and transform cultural heritage into dynamic forms.
"Quantum est in libris" explores the intersection of the archaic and the modern. On one side, there are manuscript materials from the Estonian National Museum's (ERM) more than century-old archive describing the life experiences of Estonian people; on the other side, there is technology that transforms these materials into a dynamic and interactive experience. Connecting technology and cultural heritage is the visitor, who turns texts into inputs for a screen sculpture. Historical narratives are visually brought to life through the contemporary technological language. Because the video AI models we employed, Runway Gen-3 and Gen-4, have not previously interacted with Estonian heritage, we can observe how machines today "read the world" and create future heritage. "Quantum est in libris" introduces an exciting yet unsettling new dimension to the concept of cultural heritage: in a world where data are fluid and interpretations unstable, heritage status becomes fragile. In the digital environment, heritage issues are no longer just about preservation and transmission, but also about representation of the media, machine creativity, and interpretive error. Who or what shapes memory processes and memory spaces, and how?