Posted in News, Publications on Aug 10, 2026.
Intercultural Living Labs, Cognitive Sovereignty and Geoethics: artificial intelligence in cultural landscapes
Authors: Erika M. Robrahn‑González and Luiz M. Oosterbeek
Published in Journal of Geoethics and Social Geosciences, 30-07-26. doi:10.4401/jgsg‑118
This paper explores Intercultural Living Laboratories (Intercultural Living Labs) as collaborative, community-based platforms in Portugal and Brazil. Operating under the ‘Agora – Cultural Landscape Community AI Hub’ project at the Instituto Terra e Memória, the recent integration of artificial intelligence (AI) builds upon established traditions in Digital Humanities and participatory research. These endeavours prioritise local empowerment, ethical engagement, cultural respect, and shared decision-making.
While AI adds structural complexity regarding governance, scale, and transparency, it aligns with these foundational principles. To address these dynamics, the authors propose the concept of cognitive sovereignty—a group's ongoing ability to maintain, adapt, and direct its own memory, traditions, and future perspectives when interacting with outside innovations. Rather than inventing this autonomy, Intercultural Living Labs make these existing community-driven processes visible and actionable.
The study adopts a cross-disciplinary approach that combines scientific research with localized insights without compromising the distinct validity of either. Furthermore, it expands the field of geoethics by examining the ethical responsibilities of technical systems rather than focusing solely on individual professional conduct.
Because the AI phase initiated in 2025 remains nascent, the text highlights conceptual frameworks and methodologies rather than final outcomes. Current trial applications focus on:
Generative AI for reinterpreting cultural narratives.
Spatial modelling to evaluate prospective future scenarios.
Secure testing environments for data management tools.
Ultimately, these digital instruments serve as resources for local deliberation, strategic planning, and regional governance, setting the groundwork for subsequent empirical evaluation.
