FAN Virtual Colloquiums on Archival Matters 2024 / June #IAW2024

Librarian and archivist with degrees from the University of La Salle, Central University, and University Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona, Spain), and advanced studies from the University of Salamanca (Spain). With over 30 years of experience as a university professor, researcher, and speaker at national and international events, he has served as Director General of the General Archive of the Nation of Colombia and as an external advisor to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic and the Presidency of Colombia. Currently, he is the Lead Advisor in Information Management at the Banco de la República and a member of expert groups within the Ibero-American Network of University Archival Education (RIBEAU) and the Latin American Association of Archives (ALA).

Intelligence has generated enormous enthusiasm but also fears among the archival community in most countries of the world, both because of the possibilities for its application in various records management processes, and because of the risks inherent in it. Are archivists ready to make responsible and professional use of AI? Will we be able to apply it at the same speed at which it is developing without putting the documentary memory and the profession itself at risk? How can we tackle an AI project that allows substantial improvements in the information we make available to society? How to protect the authenticity, integrity and reliability of archival documents while ensuring public trust? Can AI transform the tacit knowledge stored in archives into explicit knowledge? How to start a successful project, using AI? Where to start?

Wiwi Diana Sari is the Director of Archives Arrangement and Description at the National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia (ANRI). With a Master’s in History and Archival Science from Leiden University and a Bachelor’s in Biology Science from Gadjah Mada University, she has over two decades of experience at ANRI. She has significantly contributed to developing national archive standards, creating finding aids, and nominating important archives to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

Wiwi has organized and participated in numerous national and international seminars on archival science and disaster management. Her international experience includes training in Korea, the UK, the USA, and the Netherlands. Notably, she has worked on the Presidential Decree for managing presidential archives in Indonesia and coordinated ANRI-NAN archives digitization projects.

The utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies in the field of records and archives administration in Indonesia has shown significant advancements in recent years. National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia (Arsip Nasional Republik Indonesia/ANRI) has developed various systems, such as Srikandi, e-depot, National archival information system and network (SIKN-JIKN), and Sejarah Nusantara, which leverage AI and digital technologies to enhance archival processes. These systems facilitate efficient document digitization, metadata extraction, preservation, and accessibility. The integration of AI and digital technologies in records and archives administration in Indonesia not only improves operational efficiency but also enhances the preservation and accessibility (by the arrangement and description process) of the riches of the national cultural heritage. This comes to our challenge when the use of AI on archives’ regulation hasn't existed yet in ANRI). In addition to current advancements, ANRI envisions ANRIpedia, our champion program, as a future initiative to enhance accessibility and establish archives as primary sources of information for all. ANRIpedia aims to create a comprehensive digital archive accessible to everyone and provide a vast repository of primary historical documents and records. By leveraging AI and digital technologies, ANRIpedia facilitates seamless navigation and retrieval of archival materials, empowering researchers, scholars, and the general public to explore Indonesia's rich heritage. This initiative signifies a transformative step towards democratizing access to archival resources and promoting a deeper understanding of Indonesia's history and culture.

Kristin Jacobsen is leading the development and AI team in NAN, in the Innovation area. She has a master decree in Computer Science from NTNU, and long experience from consulting business before joining the National Archive in 2017. Besides AI technology and possibilities, she has a special interest in architecture, data sharing, and agile working.

The National Archives of Norway has been testing and working with AI since 2018. We want to share some of the cases that we have been working on, and also some experiences connected to how we work with AI possibilities and solutions.

Prof. Dr. Basma Makhlouf Shabou leads the Master's program in Information Sciences at Geneva School of Business Administration (HEG_HESSO) at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland and heads ArchiLab. Her research focuses on archival appraisal, automation of records processing, data quality measurement, and information governance, with recent work on the ecological impacts of records and archives processing. She is the ICA coordinator for the Africa program (francophone section) and participates in various national and international archival associations and research projects. She holds a bachelor's in social studies (Tunis, 1997), a master's in management of administrative documents and public archives (Tunis, 2000), and a Ph.D. in Information Sciences (Montréal, 2011).

Archival Appraisal readiness in AI age. Assessing the maturity of appraisal processes and tools will allow us to identify the archival, technical, technological, cultural, and strategical barriers and facilitators to effectively apply AI tools for appraisal processes. This study will develop a practical and functional model to assess the appraisal readiness for AI. This study will address the following questions: 1) how defensible are current appraisal decisions? 2) How coherent, systematic, and reproducible are appraisal practices? 3) What are the prerequisite conditions of AI integration to a given appraisal practice? 4) How are data, records and archives prepared to be appraised automatically and or “smartly”? 5) What are the complementary actions to upgrade appraisal practices for the AI facilities? Preliminary results of this research will be presented to FAN Virtual colloquium on AI.