IN-PERSON London Heritages. Section A

Abstract

This research explores the transformative potential of AI-driven digital storytelling as a medium to reconnect displaced cultural heritage artifacts with their original historical, emotional, and geographic contexts. Through a practice-based methodology integrating ethnographic fieldwork, immersive technologies, and narrative design, the project confronts the disconnect created when artifacts are removed from their archaeological sites and exhibited in isolation. By employing Augmented Reality (AR), 3D scanning, AI-generated text, sound, and visual media, the study develops a multisensory storytelling framework that reanimates cultural artifacts as narrative agents. These artifacts, often looted or fragmented, are reimagined to speak through first-person poetic monologues, AI-generated voices, and animated visual forms. The research addresses a critical gap in current museum and heritage communication practices by advancing a model that emphasizes emotional engagement and cultural empathy—what the study terms the “heritage empathy gap.” It also investigates how AI technologies can be ethically integrated not merely as tools for preservation but as co-creators in affective heritage storytelling. This study contributes both conceptually and practically: it proposes a new theoretical framework for digital cultural restitution and provides scalable, interactive design solutions for museums and cultural institutions. Ultimately, the work calls for a shift in heritage discourse—from static preservation to participatory, emotionally resonant reengagement.