77. Publishing Art History in the Age of AI: Editorial Ethics, Authorship, and the Future of Scholarly Communication

Generative artificial intelligence is transforming every stage of art-historical research, from the analysis of artworks and archives to writing, exhibition-making, editorial practice, and publication. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into the production and dissemination of knowledge, it raises fundamental questions about authorship, interpretation, originality, transparency, and the evidentiary status of both texts and images. While many disciplines are establishing policies governing AI-assisted scholarship, art history remains at a moment of negotiation, where disciplinary expectations and editorial standards are still taking shape.

This session invites papers examining the editorial, ethical, and methodological challenges posed by AI through an art-historical lens. We welcome contributions that consider how AI is reshaping how art-historical knowledge is researched, interpreted, written, exhibited, reviewed, and published. Rather than approaching AI as either opportunity or threat, the session explores how these technologies are redefining scholarly practice while prompting renewed consideration of expertise, critical interpretation, visual evidence, and academic integrity.

Topics may include, but are not limited to:
– AI-assisted visual analysis and interpretation of artworks
– Computer vision, image recognition, and digital methodologies
– AI in archival research, cataloguing, and collections documentation
– Authorship, attribution, originality, and transparency
– Editorial practice, peer review, and scholarly publishing
– Copyright, intellectual property, and image rights
– AI-generated images and their relationship to visual evidence
– Museum interpretation and curatorial practice
– The future of scholarly communication in art history

Papers may address historical, theoretical, methodological, or practice-based perspectives and are welcome from scholars, curators, museum professionals, editors, publishers, librarians, artists, conservators, and digital humanities practitioners. Contributions grounded in case studies, exhibitions, digital projects, collections, or publishing initiatives are especially encouraged

Themes: Artificial Intelligence, Art History, Digital Humanities

Additional format comment: The session will consist of 15-minute paper presentations followed by five minutes of Q&A, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue about how AI is reshaping the production, interpretation, and communication of art-historical knowledge.ssion with a brief introduction by the convenors, four or five papers (each 20/15 minutes, depending on the number/quality of the proposals received), followed by a moderated discussion.

Lead Convenor: Kaylee Alexander, International Journal for Digital Art History (DAHJ); University of Utah, USA

Co-convenors:

Francesca Albrezzi, International Journal for Digital Art History (DAHJ); UCLA, USA, 

Gabriela Chitwood, International Journal for Digital Art History (DAHJ), United Kingdom

To submit a Paper to this Session, please follow the guidance on our website and complete the AAH 2027 Call for Papers Proposal Submission Form.