Who Protects Culture in the AI Age? UNESCO Takes the Debate to Athens

El-Enany stressed the need to understand AI’s effects across the cultural sector and ensure its development follows ethical principles and serves the public interest.

The stories people inherit, the art they create and the traditions they pass to their children are entering a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, raising questions about whose voices technology recognises and whose experiences it overlooks. These concerns brought UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors from around the world to Athens for a three-day gathering focused on protecting culture, strengthening education and building peace through international cooperation.

The meeting marked the first time the ambassadors had gathered outside UNESCO's headquarters, allowing participants to discuss how their public influence and international initiatives could support the organisation's work. Conversations covered cultural heritage, science, education and the importance of keeping human creativity and shared values at the centre of rapid technological change.

Ancient Heritage Meets Questions About AI's Future

A key event at the Temple of Olympian Zeus brought together Greek President Constantine An. Tassoulas, UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany and Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni. Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for the Protection and Promotion of Culture Costantza Sbokou-Constantakopoulou joined a panel examining how artificial intelligence is changing culture and the responsibilities that come with its growing influence.

The discussion, titled 'Artificial Intelligence and Culture ', was co-organised by Economist Enterprise and moderated by The Economist Countries Editor Alasdair Ross. Its setting placed the conversation beside a reminder of humanity's cultural inheritance, as speakers considered how new technology could support artistic expression and heritage protection without weakening the diversity and human contribution that give culture its meaning.

Protecting Creators and Cultures That AI Can Miss

El-Enany stressed the need to understand AI's effects across the cultural sector and ensure its development follows ethical principles and serves the public interest. Mendoni described opportunities for AI to safeguard heritage and enrich creative work, emphasising that these benefits require human oversight, institutional safeguards and protection for cultural diversity, creators' rights and fair payment.

Sbokou-Constantakopoulou drew attention to a problem that reaches beyond the technology itself: AI systems learn from material that often reflects dominant narratives, leaving less visible traditions at risk of being overlooked. Her message highlighted the responsibility to shape technological development with future generations in mind, recognising that tools designed to support culture need to account for communities and experiences that are poorly represented in their training material.

Culture and Technology as Tools for Connection

Clooney spoke about the divisions created by prolonged conflicts and the isolation that grows when people encounter only views resembling their own. She described culture as a way to reconnect people through shared interests and experiences, bringing the discussion back to the human relationships behind UNESCO's mission. Her contribution linked the debate about responsible AI to practical work helping vulnerable communities understand and access their country's legal system.

Drawing on her foundation's work with Microsoft's AI for Good Lab, Clooney explained how AI tools can make legal information more accessible and help connect lawyers with people who need assistance. Ambassadors, partners and donors shared international initiatives and discussed how art, sport, education and culture could support peace and dialogue. Hosted by Sbokou-Constantakopoulou with support from the Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation, the gathering placed these practical responsibilities at the heart of its exchanges about UNESCO's role in a changing world.