Revolutionizing Cultural Heritage: XR and Generative AI for Inclusive Engagement

An hour-long webinar facilitated by Alex Kron, BPOC's Digital Operations and Collections Information Analyst with guest speaker Dr. James Hutson who presents a deep dive into various case studies of extended reality and generative AI in cultural heritage settings including how virtual reality and immersive technologies have evolved to become more accessible and inclusive, allowing people to experience cultural sites from anywhere. He explains various approaches like 360 photos, 3D modeling, and haptic/olfactory experiences that engage multiple senses; how AI is being used in art restoration in recreating cultural heritage sites and objects that no longer exist, and the potential and significance of generative AI in creating real-time translation apps, which can aid multilingualism in museums and other institutions, create digital twins of historical figures to provide a more interactive and immersive learning experience, and language preservation, emphasizing its potential to record and maintain endangere