AI, modern tech must support communities in preserving cultural heritage

KOTA SAMARAHAN: Artificial intelligence (AI) and modern technology should be used responsibly to preserve cultural heritage without replacing communities that carry traditional knowledge.

Wife of Sarawak’s Head of State, Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah Mohd Sanusi, said digital archives, interactive media, AI and virtual reality were opening new possibilities for preserving and widening access to cultural resources.

However, she cautioned that technological adoption must not sideline the communities behind the cultural knowledge.

“Accuracy matters. Respect matters. Acknowledgement matters. And the communities who carry this cultural knowledge must remain part of the process.

“Technology should not replace them. It should support them,” she said when officiating at the 8th International Conference of Applied and Creative Arts (ICACA) 2026 at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) today.

Fauziah said the future of creative arts should not be viewed as a choice between tradition and technology.

“Tradition gives us identity and meaning. Technology gives us new tools and new possibilities. When both are used responsibly, they can strengthen each other,” she said.

She added that tourism, creative industries, commercial design and digital media could bring cultural expressions to wider audiences.

However, cultural elements adapted for new uses should retain their origins and acknowledge the communities they came from.

“Innovation should strengthen cultural meaning, not remove it,” she said.

Meanwhile, the three-day ICACA 2026 features 42 presentations by scholars and practitioners from Malaysia, Indonesia, China, the United Kingdom and Oman through physical and online parallel sessions.

Keynote speakers include Wendy Teo of Wendy Teo Atelier and Think & Tink, Cletus Lee Aik Yew of Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), and Dr Dra Suryati of Institut Seni Indonesia Yogyakarta.

The conference also involves institutional collaborations with Universiti Malaysia Sabah and Institut Seni Indonesia Yogyakarta.