Humanizing Heritage: AI-Driven First-Person Narrative and Cross-Cultural Communication of Canal Cultural Relics

Abstract

The digital transformation of cultural heritage has entered a new era where artificial intelligence enables unprecedented forms of engagement between historical artifacts and global audiences. This study explores the application of human-centric AI in revitalizing the Zhejiang Eastern Canal cultural relics through first-person narrative strategies and multilingual international communication. Drawing upon a multimodal bilingual database encompassing forty-two catalogued artifacts across five categories including bridges, architecture, steles, cultural heritage sites, and vessels, this research examines how AI-driven anthropomorphic storytelling can transcend traditional museological presentation modes. The project employs six United Nations official languages which are Chinese, English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic alongside the local Shaoxing dialect to construct culturally adaptive narrative frameworks. By positioning artifacts as autonomous storytelling agents rather than passive exhibition objects, this approach fosters emotional resonance and cross-cultural understanding. The findings demonstrate that human-centric AI applications in heritage communication not only enhance international accessibility but also reconfigure the power dynamics between cultural preservation and technological innovation, offering a replicable model for regional heritage globalization. This study contributes to the emerging discourse on ethical AI deployment in cultural diplomacy and sustainable heritage futures.