ISI Report

Generative AI is rapidly reshaping the information landscape, and its potential implications for archival science and digital preservation are profound. Archives, long positioned as custodians of cultural memory and institutional knowledge, face both opportunities and challenges as they adapt to the integration of advanced AI models. Practitioner attitudes toward generative AI play a critical role in determining how effectively such technologies can be implemented in archival workflows, communication practices, and long-term knowledge sustainability. This study explores the perceptions of archival professionals concerning the challenges of reliability, authenticity, ethical governance, and trust in generative AI, alongside the opportunities for automation, enhanced metadata generation, and new forms of user engagement. By examining these perspectives, the research highlights how AI may contribute to the broader transformation of workplace practices within archives, reconfiguring traditional roles, competencies, and strategies for digital preservation. The findings underscore that while practitioners express cautious optimism about the potential of generative AI, they also emphasize the necessity of maintaining professional oversight, developing ethical guidelines, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. The study contributes to the evolving discourse on the intersection of AI and archival science by foregrounding practitioner voices and identifying strategic pathways for balancing innovation with responsibility. The analysis ultimately suggests that generative AI can support sustainable communication, efficient preservation strategies, and long-term cultural stewardship, provided that its integration is guided by principles of transparency, inclusivity, and accountability. This article thus offers a forward-looking examination of how generative AI can be meaningfully aligned with archival missions in the era of digital transformation.