Journal of Social Science and Human Research Studies (JSSHRS) · Research article · Open access

Digital Cultural Heritage Protection in the AI Era: An Integrative Review and an Integrated Governance Framework

Kraiwit Settathum, Egkapong Sarnnoi, Piyapun Santaveesuk

21 July 2026 · Vol. 2, Issue 7, pp. 1289-1301

DOI: 10.65150/EP-jsshrs/V2E7/2026-32

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Abstract

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally transforming the preservation, production, dissemination, and commercialization of cultural heritage. While AI technologies provide unprecedented opportunities for documenting, revitalizing, and transmitting intangible cultural heritage (ICH), they also create significant legal, ethical, and governance challenges, particularly concerning traditional knowledge (TK), traditional cultural expressions (TCEs), community rights, and cultural data governance. Existing intellectual property frameworks remain primarily oriented toward individual authorship and are therefore insufficient to address the collective, intergenerational, and community-based nature of cultural heritage in AI-driven digital environments. This article aims to synthesize interdisciplinary scholarship on digital cultural heritage protection and to develop a Digital Cultural Heritage Protection Framework (DCHPF) that integrates legal, technological, and governance perspectives. An integrative literature review was employed to analyze international legal instruments, academic literature, policy documents, and governance frameworks relating to intellectual property, AI governance, cultural heritage, Indigenous data sovereignty, and community rights. The synthesis identifies six interrelated governance challenges: digital cultural extraction, unauthorized AI training using cultural data, ownership ambiguity, cultural distortion, insufficient transparency, and the absence of equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms. In response, the article proposes the DCHPF, comprising six interconnected governance dimensions: community-centered rights, cultural data governance, AI transparency, digital cultural heritage registry, licensing and prior informed consent mechanisms, and equitable benefit-sharing. Unlike existing approaches that primarily emphasize copyright protection, the proposed framework adopts a community-centered governance model that integrates cultural rights, digital governance, and AI ethics. The article further argues that effective protection of digital cultural heritage requires a paradigm shift from conventional intellectual property toward cultural data sovereignty, ensuring that indigenous peoples and local communities remain active rights holders, decision-makers, and beneficiaries throughout the AI lifecycle. The proposed framework offers theoretical, legal, and policy contributions that can support future legislative reforms and sustainable AI governance in Thailand and other jurisdictions facing similar challenges.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, digital cultural heritage, intangible cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions, community rights, cultural data sovereignty, AI governance, benefit-sharing, intellectual property law

Kraiwit Settathum, Egkapong Sarnnoi, & Piyapun Santaveesuk (2026). Digital Cultural Heritage Protection in the AI Era: An Integrative Review and an Integrated Governance Framework. Journal of Social Science and Human Research Studies, 2(7), 1289-1301. https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jsshrs/V2E7/2026-32

@article{Kraiwit2026,
  title   = {Digital Cultural Heritage Protection in the AI Era: An Integrative Review and an Integrated Governance Framework},
  author  = {Kraiwit Settathum and Egkapong Sarnnoi and Piyapun Santaveesuk},
  journal = {Journal of Social Science and Human Research Studies},
  year    = {2026},
  volume  = {2},
  number  = {7},
  pages   = {1289-1301},
  doi     = {10.65150/EP-jsshrs/V2E7/2026-32},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jsshrs/V2E7/2026-32}
}

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