Is AI a Trojan Horse for the Heritage Sector?

Trojan horse replica at the museum. Canakkale, Turkey

Annual financial reports for heritage organisations suggest that digital engagement is scarcely recognised as a revenue opportunity by management boards. Primarily, revenue comes from membership fees, in-person visits, café and gift shop sales, and benefactors.

The cost of maintaining collections and historic sites is rising at a rate that often exceeds revenue growth, forcing reductions in preservation activities. Financial pressures are compounded by declining sponsorship opportunities and reduced government support, leaving many organisations facing precarious futures. While traditional revenues are barely marking time with costs, the virtual and augmented reality markets are registering compound annual growth rates of 35%.

Copyright laws have come under scrutiny in recent years, not least because they are characterised as potential economic barriers to economic growth from AI. In general, this has resulted in a weakening of the laws protecting the distribution and use of heritage material. However, copyright provides the framework for ownership of products and services offered by heritage organisations.

It is estimated that free entry to UK museums and heritage sites boosts tourism by £1Bn, which is the same as the entire revenue generated by the UK's fishing industry. A reduction in revenues from traditional sources, which are underpinned by copyright law, could oblige UK cultural organisations to charge entrance fees.

Will liberal copyright policies meet the economic needs for AI training data, support the online augmented and virtual reality markets, or both?

How will recent interpretations of copyright impact revenues in the heritage sector?