Artificial intelligence can put people back at the centre
Technology has meaning when it extends our ability to understand and challenges us to take more conscious responsibility for our choices.
From the social notebookIntelligence does not replace memory.
This is my space for observing artificial intelligence, discussing its promises and limitations, and understanding how it is changing our relationship with heritage, knowledge and the future.
Thinking about AI, not just describing it.
Here I collect posts that might get lost on social media, alongside opinions, notes and articles written specifically for the blog.
I do not want to chase every technological novelty. I want to pause on the questions that remain: what we entrust to machines, what we must continue to understand and which responsibilities we cannot delegate.
Cultural heritage is my starting point, but the discussion also concerns universities, education, design and how we build knowledge.
The mission connecting these questions is to democratise heritage: to make it understandable, accessible and available for everyone to experience. Digital technologies have already opened this path; AI can build an even closer relationship, helping each person question history in their own words and recognise themselves in shared beauty.
Three directions
The questions in my notebook.
People and responsibility
Artificial intelligence can extend our capabilities, but it cannot replace judgement. Responsibility for questions, choices and consequences remains human.
Heritage for everyone
Digitisation has opened new paths to heritage access. AI can bring it even closer to people through dialogue and understandable language: a shared resource to discover and experience, with clearly identifiable sources and interpretations.
Education and the future
The question is not only what AI will be able to do, but how it will change the way we learn, teach, design and retain our ability to think critically.
Opinions and articles
A space to write and explore
Short notes can become articles: longer texts developing a position, connecting sources and keeping discussion open.
Living with artificial intelligence: culture, knowledge and responsibility
From Vitruvius and Leonardo to Maindh_Lab: trust, verification and human responsibility in the age of artificial intelligence.
HUMANITY AT THE CENTRE, BUT NOT ALONE
Artificial intelligence, faith and the possibility of a new humanism. An open reflection on the dialogue between humans and machines.
From digital twins to embodied intelligence
Digital heritage ceases to be a passive copy when it can perceive, reason, act and learn through interaction.
Artificial intelligence does not remove responsibility
Speed, generation and automation are useful only when accompanied by sources, verification and human responsibility.
AI library
Scientific research, explained accessibly.
An updated collection of my publications on artificial intelligence and digital heritage. Each work includes a brief explanation for readers who are not specialists.
Verified sources: ORCID · OpenAlex · Crossref · IRIS UNIVPMAvatar e Intelligenza Artificiale: un approccio progettuale basato sul prompting
Paolo Clini, Renato Angeloni, Laura Coppetta, Irene Galli, Michele Polonara · in M. Balzani, M. Incerti, F. Maietti, L. Rossato, F. Raco (a cura di), Disegno furioso. Atti del 47° Convegno Internazionale dei Docenti delle Discipline della Rappresentazione · Roma: UID press · 2026 · pp. 2879–2894 · ISBN 9791282811040
How can we design avatars that tell the story of cultural heritage and engage in dialogue with the public? This research shows how words, images and human choices guide artificial intelligence in creating digital characters.
Rappresentare per comunicare e conservare: strumenti digitali per la Pinacoteca Civica di Ancona
Paolo Clini, Renato Angeloni, Umberto Ferretti, Ludovica Leonardi · Paesaggio Urbano 1 · pp. 60–71 · 2026
The study presents digital replicas, very high-resolution images and interactive tools for exploring works in Ancona’s Civic Art Gallery. These tools connect public communication with information useful for conservation, including through artificial intelligence and augmented reality.
Narrative-driven XR for Cultural Heritage: a comparative evaluation of augmented and virtual reality experiences.
Paolo Clini, Renato Angeloni, Laura Coppetta · SCIRES-IT 16(1) · pp. 19–36 · 2026
The study compares two narrative experiences, one in augmented reality and one in virtual reality, devoted to the Church of Santa Maria in Muris. User evaluations show that both support understanding and engagement, with the former tied to exploring the real site and the latter to a guided immersive narrative.
From Treatise’s Geometry to an AI-Driven Procedural Framework for Shape Grammars
Ramona Quattrini, Paolo Pieruccini, Mirco D’Alessio, Paolo Clini · Nexus Network Journal 28 · 2026 · pp. 727–758
The study translates the proportional rules of classical architecture into a parametric system based on shape grammars. Artificial intelligence helps turn descriptions into code, enabling the reconstruction of mouldings, entasis and geometric relationships through transparent, verifiable procedures.
Digital Representations and Multidisciplinary Analysis: A Knowledge-Driven HBIM for Architectural Heritage Conservation
Paolo Clini, Enrico Quagliarini, Chiara Mariotti, Renato Angeloni, Alessandro Ceppetelli · Architecture, Engineering and Design for Monuments Safeguarding · Springer · 2026 · pp. 322–340
The church of San Pietro in Valle is transformed into an HBIM model bringing together surveys, history, materials, damage and restoration. The model becomes a shared knowledge base for planning preventive conservation and supporting the site’s reopening.
The “Depositi” Project for Post-Seismic Cultural Heritage Conservation and Digital Engagement
Ilaria Arcangeli, Elena Simeoni, Michela Spito, Sara Alimenti, Ramona Quattrini, Renato Angeloni, Paolo Clini, Pamela Maiezza, Stefano Brusaporci · Architecture, Engineering and Design for Monuments Safeguarding · Springer · pp. 367–384 · 2026
The project connects digital models, geographic information and immersive experiences to conserve and interpret cultural objects held in storage after an earthquake. The PoMAq ceramics collection in L’Aquila shows how high-resolution surveys and shared information can support conservation and make heritage more accessible.
Combining HBIM and AR for Heritage Conservation. From Digital Survey to an Interactive Management Tool
Paolo Clini, Chiara Mariotti, Renato Angeloni, Umberto Ferretti · ISPRS Archives XLVIII-2/W12-2026 · 2026 · pp. 97–104
The contribution integrates 3D surveying, HBIM and augmented reality into a single process for the planned conservation of Fano’s historic walls. Technicians and conservators can consult and update deterioration records and annotations on site, keeping the central model continuously aligned with fieldwork.
From Digital Representation to Virtual Reality: An Interactive Experience of Industrial Heritage
Paolo Clini, Renato Angeloni, Mirco D’Alessio, Oronzo Mauro · Representation Across Boundaries · Springer · 2026 · pp. 269–285
A historic hydroelectric power station in San Severino Marche is digitally documented and transformed into a thematic environment for Meta Quest 3 headsets. The immersive narrative organises machinery, materials and the plant’s operation into five interactive scenes, then evaluated through public user testing.
Documentare per valorizzare: un modello di fruizione digitale per le mura romane di Fano
Paolo Clini, Oscar Mei, Renato Angeloni, Mirco D’Alessio, Irene Galli · Archeologia e Calcolatori 37(1) · 2026 · pp. 333–350
Laser surveying, photogrammetry and 3D modelling create a high-density digital twin of Fano’s Roman walls. This foundation supports a virtual reality experience combining scientific rigour, immersive storytelling and evaluation of users’ experiences.
Preserving the Relationship Between Art and Architecture. A Mixed Reality Application for the ‘Gallery of Rare Paintings’ in the Church of San Pietro in Valle (Fano, Italy)
Paolo Clini, Enrico Quagliarini, Chiara Mariotti, Renato Angeloni, Alessandro Ceppetelli, Mirco D’Alessio · The Future of Heritage Science and Technologies II · Springer · 2026 · pp. 369–383
Mixed reality virtually returns paintings to the church of San Pietro in Valle after history separated them from their original architectural setting. Visitors can rediscover the lost relationships between space, works and memory on site through an accessible immersive experience.
Dhekalos Lab to Metaverse: Exploring XR Strategies for Digital Cultural Heritage
Alessandra Frontini, Ramona Quattrini, Romina Nespeca, Paolo Clini, Mirco D’Alessio, Renato Angeloni, Irene Galli, Umberto Ferretti, Mirco Tangherlini · Exploring Digital Models and Immersive Spaces in Architecture and Construction · IGI Global Scientific Publishing · pp. 1–44 · 2026
Dhekalos Lab is recreated in a remotely accessible virtual space, with six experiences combining augmented, virtual and mixed reality with artificial intelligence. An initial evaluation with educators examines usability, the sense of presence and the educational potential of these tools for cultural heritage.
Above-Ground and Underground Architectural Heritage Documentation: A Scan-to-HBIM-to-XR Approach for Historic Centres
Paolo Clini, Romina Nespeca, Renato Angeloni, Umberto Ferretti · ISPRS Archives XLVIII-M-9-2025 · pp. 345–351 · 2025
In Cagli, laser surveys, drone images and subsurface investigations are brought together in a digital model of historic buildings and underground spaces. Mixed reality enables on-site consultation and updating of the model’s information, supporting heritage understanding and risk assessment.
Digital Representation and AI-driven Virtual Experience for Historic Houses. The Case Study of Borgo Storico Seghetti Panichi
Paolo Clini, Renato Angeloni, Mirco D’Alessio, Laura Coppetta, Irene Galli · ISPRS Archives · 2025
Digital representation and artificial intelligence contribute to a narrative virtual visit to a historic residence.
Comparing MVS and Gaussian Splatting for the 3D Reconstruction of Reflective and Texture-less Cultural Heritage Artifacts
Paolo Clini, Roberto Pierdicca, Romina Nespeca, Renato Angeloni, Laura Coppetta · Digital Heritage International Congress 2025 · The Eurographics Association · 2025
The study compares two 3D reconstruction techniques on a ceramic head and a bronze head, which are difficult to reproduce because of reflections and surfaces with little texture. Comparison with laser surveys shows that Gaussian Splatting can provide more visually consistent representations, helping select suitable tools for documenting these objects.
Creative Processes of the Visual Arts and Generative AI. Correspondences between Michelangelo and Sebastiano Del Piombo in the Flagellation of Christ Ideation
Costanza Barbieri, Paolo Clini, Ramona Quattrini, Paolo Pieruccini, Mirco D’Alessio · Digital Heritage International Congress 2025 · The Eurographics Association · 2025
The contribution proposes a digital workflow for studying the relationships between Michelangelo’s preparatory drawings and Sebastiano del Piombo’s Flagellation of Christ. Very high-resolution images, generative artificial intelligence and immersive tools are used to support the analysis and presentation of hypotheses about the creative process.
Dall’utopia al digitale: un AI-driven experience per la Città ideale di Urbino
Paolo Clini, Mirco D’Alessio, Irene Galli · 2025
An AI-guided experience interprets the Ideal City as a space to explore, describe and question through new digital devices.
From Poetry to Geometry: A Procedural AI-Boosted Approach to Shape Grammars
Paolo Clini, Ramona Quattrini, Mirco D’Alessio, Paolo Pieruccini · Nexus 2025: Relationships Between Architecture and Mathematics · pp. 127–134 · 2025
The study explores how to translate the rules and proportions of historic architecture, starting with Palladio, into digital models built using explicit procedures. Language models help turn descriptions into computational instructions, connecting texts, geometry and building-modelling tools.
Repliche digitali e inclusione museale: soluzioni accessibili per il Museo Archeologico di San Severino Marche
Paolo Clini, Renato Angeloni, Laura Coppetta, Ambra Federici, Elena Capodaglio · DAI – Il Disegno dell’Accessibilità e dell’Inclusione · pp. 532–547 · 2025
The archaeological museum of San Severino Marche is reimagined with 3D replicas, tactile maps, audiovisual content and Italian Sign Language resources. The study shows how digital documentation can be turned into physical and digital tools for visits that are more accessible to people with different needs.
Dalla vetrina al territorio: repliche digitali per la realtà mista nel parco archeologico di Forum Sempronii
Paolo Clini, Romina Nespeca, Renato Angeloni, Oscar Mei, Umberto Ferretti · Archeologia e Calcolatori 36(1) · pp. 341–356 · 2025
Three-dimensional replicas of artefacts allow them to be virtually returned to their original context in the Forum Sempronii archaeological park. Mixed reality makes these connections explorable on site, linking objects held in the museum to the landscape and structures from which they came.
Le fornaci romane di Pollentia-Urbs Salvia (Urbisaglia-MC): un modello di fruizione immersiva per il patrimonio archeologico
Roberto Perna, Ludovica Xavier de Silva, Paolo Clini, Mirco D’Alessio, Elena Capodaglio · Archeologia e Calcolatori 36(1) · pp. 321–340 · 2025
A virtual reality experience reconstructs the Roman kilns of Pollentia-Urbs Salvia and explains ceramic production through 3D models and immersive scenes. Tests with 33 participants evaluate satisfaction and usability in a journey that combines observation and interaction.
Inclusive Museum Engagement: Multisensory Storytelling of Cagli Warriors’ Journey and the Via Flamina Landscape Through Interactive Tactile Experiences and Digital Replicas
Paolo Clini, Romina Nespeca, Umberto Ferretti, Federica Galazzi, Monica Bernacchia · Heritage 8(2), 61 · 2025
The museum in Cagli combines tactile replicas of artefacts, an interactive table and a narrative map to tell the story of the warriors and the Via Flamina landscape. Evaluations with visitors, including people with visual impairments, examine how these tools can support a multisensory and inclusive museum experience.
Adrijo: A Digital Platform for Adriatic Port Heritage—Good Practices for Virtual Museums and Touristic Experiences
Paolo Clini, Ramona Quattrini, Romina Nespeca, Daniele A. De Luca, Salvatore La Porta · Heritage 7 · 2024
A cross-border digital platform connecting port heritage, virtual museums and tourism experiences along the Adriatic.
Innovative approach to the digital documentation and rendering of the total appearance of fine drawings and its validation on Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man
Marco Gaiani, Fabrizio Ivan Apollonio, Paolo Clini · Journal of Cultural Heritage · 2015
The drawing of the Vitruvian Man becomes a test case for digitally documenting and reproducing even the original’s most subtle perceptual qualities.
Augmented Reality Experience: From High-Resolution Acquisition to Real Time Augmented Contents
Paolo Clini, Emanuele Frontoni, Ramona Quattrini, Roberto Pierdicca · Advances in Multimedia · 2014
An integrated method connecting digital acquisition, modelling and augmented content in real time.
A critical position
Credible AI must be able to say: how do I know this?
In cultural heritage, a plausible answer is not enough. The more human and authoritative a system appears, the more verifiable it must be.
Sources
Every answer must be traceable to the documents and data supporting it.
Uncertainty
Hypotheses, gaps and probabilities must be shown, rather than turned into theatrical certainties.
Responsibility
Cultural decisions remain human: designing AI means taking responsibility for its consequences.
Projects and research
All the laboratory’s work is on MAINDH_LAB.
This blog remains the home of my personal voice. For projects, experiments, teams and research findings, I refer readers directly to the laboratory’s website.
Visit MAINDH_LAB ↗The question guiding the blog
How can we use AI without giving up our own intelligence?
I am not seeking a final answer. This space exists to observe, discuss and keep asking better questions.