Reanimating the Archive: AI and the Afterlives of China’s Early Images on Digital Platforms

Abstract This paper examines the complexities and ethical dilemmas of applying AI-assisted restoration in archival films. It analyses a highly popular AI-restored film on a Chinese video-sharing platform, featuring original footage from Albert Kahn’s Les Archives de la Planète . While praised for its ability to “bring history to life” through automated colorization, frame interpolation, and resolution enhancement, the project also raises fundamental questions about the authenticity of the restored version. When the very material traces of history, such as scratches, flickering, and grain, are erased, can the film still be considered the same historical document? In addition to providing an in-depth overview of the footage, drawn from early 20 th -century travelogue documentaries and the Les Archives de la Planète project, this paper also explores the technical and ethical dilemmas of AI-assisted archival restoration. It compares these issues with classic restoration theories and considers the future role of generative AI in archival restoration.