Generative AI and digital preservation of built heritage under the Belt and Road Initiative

This paper addresses a critical tension at the intersection of large-scale infrastructure development and emerging digital technologies: the impact of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on built heritage and the role of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping preservation responses. While BRI has spurred economic growth and cultural tourism across Asia and Africa, it has also accelerated the degradation and displacement of vulnerable heritage sites. Drawing on case studies from Pakistan, Kenya, Uzbekistan, and Malaysia, this study explores how generative AI – ranging from neural rendering to predictive analytics – has been deployed to digitally document, simulate, and reimagine cultural heritage under threat. Through a thematic review of AI-enabled interventions, the paper identifies both opportunities and risks: AI can extend preservation and public engagement but also introduces biases, erodes cultural agency, and risks data colonialism when governed by unbalanced power structures. Governance gaps, epistemic asymmetries, and ethical ambiguities remain pervasive. The findings highlight the need for sector-specific frameworks that integrate technical innovation with cultural sensitivity, legal clarity, and participatory governance. This paper offers a critical lens for policymakers, technologists, and heritage professionals seeking to align AI deployment with sustainable, inclusive heritage futures under the transformative pressures of BRI-led development.