HeritageWatch.AI seeks to safeguard cultural heritage from crises

Could cutting-edge AI tools help protect cultural heritage sites across the world from the ravages of war, environmental crises, and natural disasters?

The launch of HeritageWatch.AI, a new initiative based in Paris, promises to revolutionise the way the sector plans and responds to these threats, using a mix of satellite imagery, 3D modelling, and artificial intelligence.

Launched at the French Ministry of Culture during the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit, HeritageWatch.AI is the product of a collaboration between four major players in the field: the intergovernmental cultural heritage body Aliph (International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage), the 3D modelling specialists Iconem, tech giant Microsoft, and satellite imagery provider Planet Labs PBC.

The goal of the initiative is simple: to provide real-time, actionable data to heritage leaders so they can better protect vital sites in times of crisis.

By combining high-resolution satellite imagery from Planet Labs’ fleet of 200 satellites with Iconem’s expertise in creating 3D models of complex heritage sites, the project will help deliver in-depth, real-time information that can inform emergency responses. This data will then be processed using computing resources from Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab.

Aliph will use the data to expand its capacity to support cultural heritage organisations during emergencies. Since its inception in 2017, Aliph has distributed over $100 million (€96 million) in grants, funding more than 500 projects in 41 countries.

Notable examples of its action include the $500,000 (€480,000) it allocated to protect Beirut’s Sursock Museum in the wake of the devastating 2020 port explosion. Aliph also responded quickly to the situation in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in 2022, assisting museums and libraries in safeguarding their collections.

According to Aliph, HeritageWatch.AI is aiming to provide tools that allow heritage bodies to predict and mitigate risks before they turn into full-scale crises. “HeritageWatch.AI is designed to enable the cultural heritage sector to move toward a prediction-based approach, identifying areas prone to crises and implementing mitigation measures ahead of disasters,” it said in a statement, noting plans to monitor the progressive impact of desertification on earthen structures in the Sahel region and assess how rising sea levels are affecting coastal heritage. 

In its launch statement, HeritageWatch.AI  said that it will focus on three priorities: “Mapping climate change and natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, and fires, to predict their impact on cultural heritage; assessing the damage caused by natural disasters, climate change, or conflicts on cultural heritage; and contributing to the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural goods, identifying looting activities.”

As for the project’s funding, Microsoft has pledged an initial $1 million (€959,000) over four years, along with $750,000 (€719,000) in in-kind services, while Aliph has contributed $250,000 (€240,000). 

In a video shared for the launch, Lazare Eloundo Assomo, the Director of World Heritage at UNESCO, highlighted the difficulty in accessing timely data during crises. He explained, “Usually in the event of a disaster, we have difficulty accessing data on time in the affected site,” underscoring how vital the new technology will be for faster, more informed decision-making.