Debating AI in archaeology: applications, implications, and ethical considerations

Abstract

“Artificial Intelligence” (AI) is not a recent development. However, with increasing computational capabilities, AI has developed into Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning, technologies particularly good at detecting correlations and patterns, and categorising, predicting, or extracting information. Within archaeology, AI can process “big data” accumulated over decades of research and deposited in archives. By combining these capabilities, AI offers new insights and exciting opportunities to create knowledge from archaeological archives for contemporary and future research. However, ethical implications and human costs are not yet fully understood. Therefore, we question whether AI in archaeology is a blessing or a curse?