Workshop on Generative AI: A Problematic Illustration of the Intersections of Racialized Gender, Race and Ethnicity and their Impact on Digital Heritage

6 June 2025, Glasgow

This workshop was co-organised with CoLIS 2025 – the 12th International Conference on Conceptions of Library and Information Science.

The workshop was delivered by Dustin Hosseini, University of Strathclyde, University of Cumbria, University of Glasgow, with inputs from Nayiri Keshishi, University of Surrey and Milena Dobreva, University of Strathclyde

Introduction

This workshop aimed to develop practical awareness and understanding of the problematic nature of using generative artificial intelligence (AI) within the digital heritage domain. Specifically, this workshop focused on critical and analytic thinking around the underpinnings of generative AI along with what generative AI (re)produces concerning race and gender.

By discussing a set of examples, the workshop illustrates various issues around the misrepresentation of race and gender in AI-generated images. It will also provide the space for a broad discussion on the question of how can heritage professionals, as well as academics active in the digital heritage domain ensure that generative AI creations are more accurate and equitable representations of peoples/cultures/objects.

Format

The workshop was 90 minutes long. It required participants to bring their own device. The workshop included hands-on activity, discussion in small groups and peer learning. The schedule included:

• Introduction – examples from AI generated images
• Activity for the participants (experimentation with AI generated images)
• Discussion: types of issues and possible solutions

Recommended Reading (pre-workshop)

Hosseini, D. D. (2024). Generative AI: a problematic illustration of the intersections of racialized gender, race, ethnicity. [pre-print]

Further references 

Benjamin, R. (2019). Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code. Polity Press.

Participants from various cultural heritage institutions were interested in hosting this workshops for their teams. We are happy to discuss the delivery of the workshop tailored for a specific organisation – if you are interested in this, please get in touch with Mr Dustin Hosseini.