AUTOMATA Coordinator at “AI and Archaeology” Seminar, VU Amsterdam, 15th January 2026
Prof. Gabriele Gattiglia (University of Pisa) has participated in a seminar related to AI and Archaeology, organised at the VU Amsterdam on the 15th January 2026. He has presented a lecture on “The State of Artificial Intelligence in Archaeology: From Tools to Interpretation”, also referring to the current outcomes of the AUTOMATA project.
Over the last decade, archaeology has entered a post-digital condition in which digital technologies are no longer perceived as innovative but as infrastructural. Artificial Intelligence now represents the most significant development within this landscape, not simply as a new set of tools, but as a force capable of reshaping how archaeological knowledge is produced, organised, and interpreted. This presentation offers a critical introduction to the current state of AI in archaeology, framing recent applications within a broader epistemological and methodological perspective.
AI is already embedded in many archaeological practices. Yet archaeology does not operate in a context of data abundance. On the contrary, it is characterised by fragmented archives, incomplete datasets, and uneven documentation. In many cases, computational capacity now exceeds the available data for analysis.
Building on recent reflections on hybrid and composite intentionality, this contribution argues that algorithms should be understood as co-constitutive agents in archaeological interpretation rather than neutral instruments. They shape what becomes visible, measurable, and comparable, redistributing interpretative agency within archaeological workflows. The key challenge is therefore not whether AI can be applied to archaeology, but how it can be integrated in a reflexive, transparent, and accountable manner.