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Debating AI in Archaeology: applications, implications, and ethical considerations

Martina Tenzer, Giada Pistilli, Alex Brandsen and Alex Shenfield

Cite this as: Tenzer, M., Pistilli, G., Brandsen, A. and Shenfield, A. 2024 Debating AI in Archaeology: applications, implications, and ethical considerations, Internet Archaeology 67. https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.67.8

Summary

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not a recent development. However, with increasing computational capabilities, AI has developed into Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning, technologies particularly good at detecting correlations and patterns, and categorising, predicting, or extracting information. Within archaeology, AI can process big data accumulated over decades of research and deposited in archives. By combining these capabilities, AI offers new insights and exciting opportunities to create knowledge from archaeological archives for contemporary and future research. However, the ethical implications and human costs are not yet fully understood. Therefore, we question whether AI in archaeology is a blessing or a curse.

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  • Keywords: artificial intelligence, AI, archaeology, heritage studies, ethics
  • Accepted: 15 February 2024. Published: 29 February 2024
  • Funding: The publication of this article was funded by the University of York Open Access Fund.
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Corresponding author: Martina TenzerORCID logo
martina.tenzer@york.ac.uk
University of York

Giada PistilliORCID logo
Sorbonne University

Alex BrandsenORCID logo
Leiden University

Alex ShenfieldORCID logo
Sheffield Hallam University

Full text

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