In a historic session in Geneva, the Global Heritage Union has ratified a new treaty aimed at regulating the use of AI-generated provenance in the antiquities market. The treaty establishes strict standards for the use of artificial intelligence in verifying the history and origin of ancient artifacts, following concerns that deep-learning tools were being used to manufacture fraudulent ownership histories for looted goods.
The new legal framework mandates that any AI-assisted authentication must be accompanied by a verifiable 'digital trail' of the source data. This regulation is intended to protect the integrity of heritage law and ensure that technology serves as a tool for transparency rather than a mask for the illicit trade of cultural property across international borders.