#IAW2025 Webinar – Access and Integrity in the Digital Age: Archives, AI, and Authenticity

The International Council on Archives (ICA) is pleased to invite all members and the wider archival community to a special webinar taking place on Thursday, 12 June 2025 at 12:00–13:00 CET (Paris time) during International Archives Week 2025 titled: 

Access and Integrity in the Digital Age: Archives, AI, and Authenticity 

This online event is part of International Archives Week 2025—now in its seventh edition—which explores the global theme #ArchivesAreAccessible – Archives for Everyone. Selected by over 300 participants in a global poll, this theme invites archivists and institutions to go beyond digitisation and address the physical, technological, and systemic barriers that continue to limit access to archives for many communities. 

In this 60-minute webinar, representatives from three of the ICA’s partners will explore the evolving relationship between archives, artificial intelligence, and digital preservation. They will focus on how authenticity and trust are maintained in an era of rapid technological change. 

More information on the panellists and details on how to register can be found below. 

The webinar is free and open for anyone to join. Registration is required to receive full details on how to connect to this virtual meeting. 

Webinar description 

This panel will explore the intersection of archives, artificial intelligence, and digital preservation, with a focus on maintaining access and integrity in digital collections. Through a series of case studies and reflections, speakers will share how AI is being integrated in digitisation projects, the challenges of authenticity in digital media, and practical frameworks for digital preservation that ensure long-term usability and trustworthiness of digital archives. 

Topics include: 

• Digitization and AI for Access to Archives, discussed by Eng Sengsavang. 

• • This discussion will explore findings from a survey on AI uses in digitisation of documentary heritage materials, outlining how institutions are employing AI to increase access, alongside risks and challenges. She will also discuss the launch of a digitisation project at UNESCO and strategies to incorporate AI to enhance access to digital collections. 

• Media Authenticity in the Age of AI: Building Trust and Transparency in Digital Cultural Heritage, presented by Frederik Temmermans (Photoconsortium). 

• • This contribution explores the challenges of maintaining authenticity as AI reshapes how visual media are produced and accessed. Frederik will reflect on archival implications, discussing provenance, contextualisation, and ethical communication to safeguard digital collections’ integrity. 

• From Access to Assurance: Digital Preservation in Practice, presented by Karyn Williamson (Digital Preservation Coalition).

• • This talk will focus on practical considerations for providing access to digital collections, emphasising the necessity of preservation to maintain authenticity, accuracy, and functionality. It will introduce the DPC Rapid Assessment Model (RAM) framework to assess preservation readiness and develop roadmaps for sustained access.