University Cultural Collections and Generative AI: Critical Approaches in a Library Context

This report explores the integration of Generative AI into cultural collections research and management at University of Leeds Libraries. Bringing together the findings of two parallel fellowships, it assesses the potential of Generative AI to enhance metadata, facilitate connections, and reveal new research perspectives. The first study uses AI-driven mapping software to visualise the geographic spread of the Bedford Trade Card Collection. This strand demonstrates the general utility of Generative AI in pattern recognition and data cleaning, while also highlighting limitations in its capacity for contextual evaluation and historical nuance. The second study investigates the value of Generative AI tools in linking cultural objects and academic outputs, revealing its ambivalent performance as a search aid. Both projects call for the informed use of Generative AI by cultural practitioners going forward, which could be fostered through institutional support, standardised training, and open-source tools. The report concludes that while Generative AI is far from perfect, there is an ongoing need for critical engagement with its operational implications within the cultural heritage sector.