The emergence of artificial intelligence in the fields of culture and knowledge brings new opportunities, but also raises profound questions about how we construct, preserve and transmit memory. What role can generative technologies play in reconstructing the past? How can we ensure the ethical use of personal testimonies? Can artificial intelligence help make visible experiences that were never captured in images?
These are some of the questions that will be addressed during AI, Memory Preservation and Ethics in Historical Documentation, organised by the European Observatory on Memories (EUROM) of the University of Barcelona Solidarity Foundation and Domestic Data Streamers, as part of the public presentation of the project Synthetic Memories. Women, Memory and Freedom.
The programme will also feature a roundtable discussion addressing the challenges posed by the digitisation of memory, data governance, consent, the representation of the past and the ethical boundaries of generative technologies. The event will conclude with a keynote lecture, “Artificial Intelligence and Digital Humanities”, by historian Alberto Venegas Ramos, author of Pasado Sintético and a specialist in the relationship between history, memory and artificial intelligence.
The event will bring together researchers, heritage and cultural professionals, memory organisations, students and members of the public interested in collectively reflecting on how emerging technologies are transforming the ways in which we remember, represent and interpret the past.
Participation is free, but prior registration is required via this form.
This initiative is supported by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme of the European Union and Barcelona City Council.
Agenda
17:00 — Welcome address
17:15 — Keynote: Artificial Intelligence and Digital Humanities
Alberto Venegas Ramos, historian and author of Pasado Sintético
18:15 — Break
18:30 — Presentation of the project Synthetic Memories. Women, memory and freedom
European Observatory on Memories (EUROM) & Domestic Data Streamers
19:15 — Roundtable: AI, Memory and the Challenges of Historical Documentation
Núria Ferrer & Miquel Centelles
HerStory Project, FIMA, University of Barcelona
AI, Memory and Epistemic Justice: What Can We Recover and What Should We Not Lose Along the Way?
Jordi Ibarz & Mónica Borrell
PortADa Project, Faculty of Geography and History, University of Barcelona
Mass Data Collection, Normalisation, Disambiguation and Interpretation: AI as a Core Tool in the PortADa Project
20:00 — Closing
EU Survey
This activity is co-financed by the European Commission and for its evaluation we kindly ask your collaboration in filling out this survey. You will need the information indicated below. Thank you very much!
- Reference of the Project: 101236354
- Type of activity: Awareness Raising
- Title: Synthetic Memories
- Date: October 1, 2026
- 1 Day
- Physical event
- Barcelona