AI in the Service of Cultural Heritage
In a joint project between the National Gallery and the Finnish Heritage Agency, AI tools based on image recognition and new working methods are being developed and implemented to improve the accessibility and usability of information related to cultural heritage.
AI in the Service of Cultural Heritage (2025 –)
Finnish Heritage Agency ja Finnish National Gallery
Sitra: Public Sector Productivity Programme
In a joint project between the Finnish Heritage Agency and the Finnish National Gallery, a shared AI competence for Finnish museums is being developed. As part of Sitra’s Public Sector Productivity Programme, the project focuses on developing and implementing AI tools and new working methods based on image recognition. The aim is to build and strengthen responsible AI expertise, guidelines, and operating models across Finnish museums, improving access to cultural heritage information and expanding its potential uses.
Alongside the development of AI solutions, the project invests in strengthening professional expertise through training programmes and guidance materials. The project is piloting new ways of working so that experts can focus on refining, interpreting, and communicating the information generated by generative AI. This enhances the impact of work of the experts.
The Finnish Heritage Agency has a national mandate to develop the museum sector in Finland, while the Finnish National Gallery contributes as an expert organisation in the field of art museums.
The project focuses on the use of AI in collection management, with a particular emphasis on visual cultural heritage. Visual cultural heritage also includes, for example, copyright-free 2D images of artworks.
The project began in 2025 and will continue until 2027, with a possible extension to 2028 pending additional funding.
The project is funded by Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund, and supported by the work contributions of staff from the Finnish Heritage Agency and the Finnish National Gallery. The self-financed share of the project is 50%, corresponding to more than three person-years in total. The work—and the project as a whole—is divided among several experts/specialists and multiple work packages within the organisations.
Project Leads
Steering Group
- Jonna Heliskoski and Kimmo Nurmisto, Sitra
- Kimmo Levä and Hannu-Pekka Polttila, Finnish Heritage Agency
- Maija Tanninen-Mattila and Riitta Ojanperä, Finnish National Gallery
- Petra Havu, Finnish Museum Association
Project Managers
Ismo Malinen, Finnish Heritage Agency, and Piia Pitkänen, Finnish National Gallery