Professor Gabriella Giannachi, Professor of Performance and New Media and a member of the Somabotics Fellowship, has contributed to the UNESCO Office in Cairo publication Artificial Intelligence and Culture: A Perspective from the Arab Region. The book explores how artificial intelligence can support the preservation and documentation of cultural heritage across the Arab region and brings together international perspectives on the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence within the cultural sector.

Gabriella’s chapter, featured in Section II, Documenting Intangible Cultural Heritage through Artificial Intelligence, examines how AI technologies can support the documentation and preservation of intangible cultural heritage.

Drawing on three case studies involving mixed reality, robotics and artificial intelligence, the chapter highlights the ways in which emerging technologies can create new approaches to recording, interpreting and sharing cultural experiences.

Two Somabotics-related projects feature prominently within the case studies:

• Cat Royale, an award-winning project led by the Trustworthy Autonomous Systems Hub in collaboration with artists Blast Theory, which explored the relationships between humans, animals, robots and AI.
• Embrace Angels, developed in partnership with Dutch artists  Lancel Matt, which demonstrates how AI-enabled documentation can become an integral part of the creative process itself.

The inclusion of Somabotics work in the book highlights the Fellowship’s contribution to international discussions around the creative, cultural and societal implications of artificial intelligence.