On 14–15 May 2025, 70 participants from over 30 countries gathered in Seville for the Kick-off Meeting of COST Action No. 23141 MAIA (Managing Artificial Intelligence in Archaeology), hosted by the Facultad de Geografía e Historia, University of Seville.
Over two intense days, participants engaged in a dynamic mix of thematic working groups and plenary sessions, fostering mutual exchange and knowledge-sharing across a wide range of professional, academic, public, and private backgrounds.
MAIA brings together more than 230 members, many of whom followed the proceedings online. The Action tackles the complex and rapidly evolving relationship between archaeology and artificial intelligence – a field rich with potential, but not without its challenges.
Digital and field archaeologists, experts in chronologies and diverse disciplines, data curators, computer scientists, museum professionals, science communicators, academics and practitioners came together to begin exploring MAIA’s four key thematic areas:
- Assessing the current state of the art and identifying limitations in the application and development of AI in archaeology.
- Creating an international network to investigate the availability and characteristics of open archaeological datasets suitable for training AI systems, and to promote their expansion.
- Understanding the archaeological research questions that AI could help address, with particular attention to resource implications, ethical considerations, transparency around biases in data and algorithms, and long-term sustainability.
- Exploring how to communicate the challenges posed by the AI–archaeology relationship, sharing insights and outcomes from the Action with a broad and diverse public audience.
The Seville meeting marked the official launch of these activities and laid the groundwork for MAIA’s future steps. It was also an opportunity for connection, conviviality, storytelling, and meaningful exchange.
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