AI4DH 2024:

Researchers have explored the benefits and applications of modern Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms in different scenarios. Digital Humanities (DH) is a newly-emerging field that brings together humanities, social, and computer scientists to work both on fundamental and applied research in humanities. The large-scale cultural and societal implications of these changes and the ethical questions that raise offer an important challenge as techniques in Artificial Intelligence and Data Learning have matured. Thus, there has been a wide range of computational tools, methods, and models that have enabled humanities to conduct research at a scale once thought impossible.

The goal of this workshop is to encourage and highlight novel strategies and original research in applying Artificial Intelligence techniques in digital humanities research such as data discovery, digital data creation, management, data analytics (including text mining, image mining and data visualization) in literature, linguistics, culture heritage, media, social science, history, music and acoustics, and Artificial Intelligence for Digital Humanities in pedagogy and academic curricula. 

This workshop aims not only to serve as a venue for presenting work in this area but also to build a community and share information in this new field.

Topics

The workshop calls for submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following topics:

• AI for Visual DH

• Artworks Cross-modal Retrieval

• AI for Art Generation

• Automatic Metadata Extraction from Artworks

• AI for Video Analysis

• AI for Artistic Images Analysis

• AI for DH Preservation and Enhancement

• AI in Virtual Systems for Education and Tourism

• AI in Museums and Cultural Tourism

• Museum and Service Robotics

• Music and Visual Art-induced Emotion Recognition

• Automatic Storytelling of Art

• Foundation AI Applications to DH

• AI in Digital Cultural Content/Object Analysis

• AI in Content-based Classification and Retrieval

• AI in Semantics and Knowledge Representation

• Intelligent Methods in Spatial and Temporal Analysis

• Intelligent Crowdsourcing Approaches

• AI & Extended Reality (XR) for DH

  • XR Platforms for Education Purposes and Edu/Infotainment

  • XR Interfaces for Cultural Heritage Dissemination 

  • Collaborative XR Interfaces

  • Metaverse, Avatars, Agents, and NFT

  • Ethics & Social Implications

San Vitale Challenge: Automatic Reconstruction of Ancient Glass Fragments

Researchers have investigated the advantages and practical uses of Artificial Intelligence algorithms in various contexts, and in particular in cultural heritage, since it assumes a paramount role in fostering cultural, historical, and economic progress within our societies. 

The San Vitale church, constructed in the sixth century, has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. When sunlight passed through the intricate colored windows, casting its luminance upon the renowned mosaics depicting Christian iconography that adorn the interior walls and ceilings, it engendered an ambiance distinct from the experience we are familiar with today. 

Unfortunately, the stained glass windows have fallen to the ground and nothing remains of the original supporting structure, which could have been made of wood like other churches in Ravenna or, more likely, in plaster like Byzantine churches on the eastern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. Recently, archaeologists have recovered the fragments of these stained glass windows. These disks are a unicum in Italy, while similar findings dated back to the sixth century are known in Egypt and the Middle East.

Currently, the original disks are reconstructed entirely by hand in a jigsaw-like fashion, by comparing the color and shape of each fragment to check if they match. This process is notoriously tedious and time-consuming. Therefore, being able to automate this process at least partially would significantly simplify the work of conservators, helping them to document and preserve the historical heritage of the Church of San Vitale.

In this scenario, this challenge aims to find the best algorithm able to find connections between glass fragments, helping the reconstruction of ancient window elements of a sixth-century UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

CHALLENGE WEBSITE