AI shows true colors of iconic artwork

Technology, such as artificial intelligence and deep learning, is reshaping the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage, bringing masterpieces back to their former glory and enabling people to appreciate their beauty beyond time and space.

At the UNESCO headquarters in Paris late last month, Fragments of Civilization — Exhibition on the Mural Art of the Yongle Palace displayed one of the latest examples of reviving cultural heritage in the digital era.

Chaoyuan Tu, or the painting of the heavenly court, was the highlight of the exhibition. Using AI technology, experts have brought the mural close to its authentic colors that were used about 800 years ago, making the original features of the mural a present-day reality that can be admired by visitors from around the world.

"In modern times, the restoration of cultural relics is no longer about individual conservators working manually with tools," Xi Jiulong, director of the Yongle Palace mural preservation research institution, said at the exhibition opening in Paris.

"Technological advances are enabling the preservation of cultural heritage. Computing power will ultimately help us reverse time."