Chatbots and Text Recognition: How Belarus Plans to Use AI in Archival Sphere

The Belarusian Research Institute of Documentary Science and Archival Affairs has prepared recommendations for the use of artificial intelligence in the archival field. The technologies are planned to be used to recognize documents, search for information and form a scientific reference apparatus. About this at a press conference timed to the Day of the Archivist, said the Director of the Institute Andrei Rybakov, the correspondent of sb.by.

According to him, the institute has already prepared methodological recommendations for the use of AI in archival affairs. They are designed for both state archives and archives of other state and non-state organizations.

One of the possible directions is text recognition. At the same time, the expert noted that the technology copes with printed and typewritten documents much easier than with manuscripts.

- The handwriting of even one person can change throughout life. Therefore, everything is not so simple, easy and unambiguous, Andrei Rybakov noted.

Artificial intelligence is also seen as a tool for preparing research and reference apparatus and creating chatbots that can help users work with archival information. Separate opportunities are seen in the processing of audiovisual documents.

- We are currently preparing recommendations for the use of AI technologies in office work. And we also see opportunities here in creating documents, organizing document flow, registration, monitoring execution, drawing up nomenclatures and forming cases. One of the difficulties that we see in government agencies and other organizations is that electronic documents are not written off. But here we can use AI technology to automatically do these things for us. So far, all this is under development, Andrei Rybakov added.

According to him, the main difficulties are due to the fact that the country does not yet have a law regulating the use and implementation of AI. There are also technical and financial constraints.

At the same time, the Institute continues to work on updating the regulatory framework of record-keeping. In particular, a new draft state standard for paperwork has been prepared, which should replace the current 2016 standard. Belarus plans to digitize 3 million pages of archival documents stepanchuk@sb.by by the end of 2026