A research team led by Nagaland University has brought together scholars from institutions across India to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can support the preservation of the country’s diverse cultural heritage, including manuscripts, endangered languages, oral traditions and historical records.

The study focuses on heritage materials that are increasingly vulnerable to deterioration, physical damage and the loss of traditional knowledge. It proposes a framework to evaluate the use of AI in cultural preservation, emphasising that digitisation alone is not enough; historical accuracy, deeper meanings and cultural contexts must also be retained.

The research team includes scholars from institutions in Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. The researchers stressed that AI should complement, rather than replace, the work of archivists, linguists, subject experts and cultural custodians. They also underscored the importance of involving local communities in decisions concerning the documentation, preservation and use of their heritage.

The findings have been published in Acta Innovations (DOI: 10.62441/actainnovations.v63i1s.1506), a peer-reviewed, open-access multidisciplinary journal published by Rotherham Academic Press Ltd., covering engineering, environmental science, sustainability, technology and social sciences.

The paper was co-authored by Prof Ravi Ranjan Kumar of Nagaland University; Major Dr N Kavitha of Vellalar College for Women (Autonomous), Tamil Nadu; Nisha Sengar of PGDAV College (Evening), University of Delhi; Dr Sonia Gouri of ABES Engineering College, Ghaziabad; Dr J Lalitha Sridevi of Hyderabad; Kumar Sai Deepak B of Sapthagiri NPS University, Bengaluru; and Dr P Deepavathi of Joy University, Tamil Nadu.

Highlighting the importance of collaboration among institutions across the country, Nagaland University Vice-Chancellor Prof Jagadish K Patnaik said the initiative reflected the growing potential of AI in safeguarding India’s rich and diverse cultural heritage.

“This collaborative research initiative reflects the growing potential of Artificial Intelligence in safeguarding India’s rich and diverse cultural heritage. The integration of AI with the preservation of manuscripts, endangered languages, oral traditions and historical records can open new avenues for documenting and transmitting our invaluable cultural knowledge to future generations,” he said.

Patnaik added that technological interventions must respect cultural contexts, community rights and ethical considerations. He appreciated the collective efforts of researchers from different universities and expressed confidence that the initiative would contribute to an inclusive, responsible and culturally sensitive framework for applying AI to heritage preservation.

AI-based preservation framework

Elaborating on the research, Prof Ravi Ranjan Kumar of the Hindi Department, Nagaland University, said a key contribution of the study was a framework to evaluate AI-assisted cultural preservation across nine areas: digitisation accuracy, text recognition, classification, translation, visual reconstruction, descriptive information, cultural context, accessibility and ethics.

He said the framework combined technical assessments with reviews by subject experts and relevant communities.

“Technical accuracy does not necessarily guarantee cultural accuracy. An AI system may correctly transcribe a document or translate spoken words while missing historical references, cultural nuances or the significance of a tradition. Expert verification and community consultation are therefore essential, particularly when working with less commonly used languages, unusual scripts, damaged documents and oral histories,” Kumar said.

The study noted that digital tools could help transcribe manuscripts, document spoken languages and organise oral histories. However, without appropriate safeguards, the use of such technologies could result in the loss or misrepresentation of essential cultural context. It therefore recommends involving the communities whose heritage is being documented and establishing clear guidelines on data use, privacy and access.

The researchers identified five broad areas where AI could support cultural preservation: printed and handwritten documents; photographs and artworks; oral histories and endangered languages; archaeological and architectural heritage; and folklore and community knowledge.

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Potential applications include making historical documents searchable, organising image collections, identifying damage to artworks, transcribing oral recordings, translating multilingual materials, and creating digital maps and three-dimensional models of heritage sites.

The study also emphasised the need to distinguish between restoration and reconstruction. While restoration seeks to preserve or recover existing material, reconstruction may involve inferring information that is missing or unavailable.

To maintain transparency, the researchers recommend retaining original digital files, documenting AI-generated changes and clearly indicating uncertainty. This would allow users to distinguish original evidence from computer-generated interpretations.

Relevance to India’s multilingual heritage

The proposed framework could be particularly relevant to India, where manuscripts, regional languages, oral traditions and community knowledge constitute an extensive and diverse cultural record.

In the Northeast, the approach could help explore ways to preserve endangered languages and document oral histories, provided the tools are suitable for the languages concerned and communities are involved in decisions about how their heritage is recorded, accessed and shared.

For libraries, museums, universities and archives, searchable digital collections could improve access for students and researchers while reducing the need for repeated handling of fragile original documents. Multilingual access could also help researchers discover and study collections that have received limited attention.

Human oversight remains essential

The research identifies several areas requiring further investigation, including the accuracy of AI tools in processing damaged documents and less commonly used languages, the role of communities in validating translations and descriptions, and the need to communicate uncertainty in digital reconstructions.

The authors recommend piloting the framework across different collections, scripts and dialects to assess its practical value. Such evaluations should document recognition errors, incorporate feedback from experts and communities, and establish whether AI-generated outputs are appropriate for their intended uses.

The study also points to the importance of ensuring the long-term usability of digital records as technologies and storage systems evolve.

The researchers maintain that AI can become a useful tool in safeguarding India’s cultural legacy, but its success will depend on balancing technological capabilities with historical integrity, ethical safeguards and respect for community rights.