Legacy and Language: The Ethics of AI Interventions into Art + Australia’s 60-year-old Magazine Archive

This project was a successful recipient of CAIDE's 2023 seed funding round 'Automated Expertise.'


Overview

The project aims to explore the ethical implications of using AI to intervene in historical art and cultural archives, specifically within the context of Australian art history. By developing an AI interface trained on Art + Australia’s archive (dating back to 1963) the team looks to consider how a novel AI interface can complement existing qualitative and theoretical analysis in Australian art history, at a critical time for diversity, inclusion and the centering of First Nations voices in the Australian arts and cultural sphere.

Key questions include:

  • What are the impacts and implications of AI revisions made through a contemporary lens on historical documents?
  • How can AI interfaces be developed to respond to the ethical concerns raised by the use of AI in cultural archives?

The project also seeks to address issues related to cultural sensitivity and historical respect in the arts.

Research Team

  • Tyne Sumner
    Dr Tyne Sumner

    Culture and Communication

    Faculty of Arts

    University of Melbourne

  • Su Baker
    Prof Su Baker

    Pvc Community & Cultural Partnerships

    Chancellery

    University of Melbourne

  • Jeremy Eaton
    Jeremy Eaton

    PhD Candidate

    Faculty of Fine Arts and Music

    University of Melbourne

  • Chloe Ho
    Chloe Ho

    PhD Candidate

    Faculty of Arts

    University of Melbourne