The Significance and Challenges of Museum Digital Archives at a Turning Point in Cultural Policy: Rebuilding the Public Knowledge Infrastructure through “White (Trustworthy) AI”

Abstract

This paper examines the significance and challenges of institutionalized museum digital archives, established following the 2022 revision of the Museum Act, within the context of Japan's cultural policy shift. It particularly clarifies the role digital archives play as a public knowledge infrastructure, considering their interconnection with revisions to the Cultural Properties Protection Act and the Act on Promotion of Cultural Tourism. Furthermore, it presents the concept of “White (Trustworthy) AI” to address challenges in the AI era, such as the invisibility of learning utilization and the “tragedy of the commons.” This concept aims to visualize learning processes and value creation, discussing a direction for cultural policy that balances the sustainability of cultural resources with the democratization of culture.