An exploration of how Intelligent Archives and Artifactor 501(c)(3) are transforming New Orleans’ vast historic collections into living, AI-ready cultural data. Joseph Makkos outlines an emerging model where preservation, technology, and creative production intersect to unlock new value in the city’s archives—connecting culture and computation in powerful new ways.

As the race to train AI accelerates, the question of who owns the world’s data—and whose stories get represented—has never been more urgent. This 20-minute talk presents the vision behind Intelligent Archives and Artifactor 501(c)(3): two interconnected efforts to digitize, structure, and activate New Orleans’ archival record as a foundation for ethical, community-driven AI and media production.

Makkos argues that the next wave of innovation will come not from synthetic datasets, but from authentic cultural intelligence—rich, localized archives that carry the DNA of real communities. This presentation invites technologists, funders, and producers to consider how partnerships and investment can turn cultural data into a renewable civic resource, powering both creative industries and equitable AI futures.