Archives extended by AI
The project enhances public services and creates jointly developed solutions for improved information access in participating archives by leveraging the possibilities of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
Building future access to historical information
What we want to achieve with the project?
The project delivers new and improved public services with more efficient methods for handling information requests, resulting in faster cross-language client service and improved archival user experience.
How to access historical archives?
Have you ever wondered what your ancestors did during World War II —or tried to find out? Accessing historical records across borders can be a slow and complex process. Archives hold millions of documents, but they’re often handwritten, in different languages, and not available in digital form.
ArchXAI is here to change that. ArchXAI is a cross-border initiative that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to make historical archives language independent, smarter, faster, and easier to access.
By combining cutting-edge AI with the rich collections of the national archives, ArchXAI will help you find answers to historical questions more quickly — whether you’re a researcher, genealogist, student, or simply a curious citizen.
How is archive access improved?
By working together, the national archives of Estonia, Finland, and Latvia will create shared solutions that reflect their intertwined histories and benefit the wider European archival community. Over the next three years, ArchXAI will deliver:
- Digitized Historical Collections: Thousands of pages of handwritten and printed documents will be digitized, content recognized and made publicly available, preserving cultural heritage and making it accessible to all.
- AI Tools for Archives: Open-source tools will be developed to 1) recognize and transcribe handwritten and printed text (HTR/OCR), 2) automatically catalog and index archival materials , 3) assist archivists and the public in making and answering information requests
- Faster, Smarter Access to Archives : With AI-assisted search and multilingual support, users will be able to ask complex questions—like “What did my grandfather do during WWII?”—and get faster, broader answers.