Safeguard-DH Project Reveals the "Two Speeds of AI" in Cultural Heritage

2 February 2026 - Reading time: ~1 minute

The Safeguard-DH project recently analyzed its ethical AI usage survey, uncovering a phenomenon described as the "Two Speeds of AI" within Serbia’s cultural heritage sector. This concept highlights the friction between rapid personal experimentation and lagging institutional governance.

The "Fast Speed" is defined by widespread individual adoption. Approximately 73.4% of professionals use AI at least occasionally, with nearly half of respondents using tools like chatbots and text summarizers daily or frequently to boost productivity.

In contrast, the "Slow Speed" reflects a significant "governance gap." A staggering 78.8% of organizations have no official AI policy, and only one institution reported having a formal document for responsible AI use. Despite this policy void, professionals maintain a high-stakes ethical mindset, prioritizing data privacy and content accuracy above all other concerns. To synchronize these speeds, 85% of the sector is calling for structured training and clear policy templates to move beyond informal "shadow adoption".

In the video created with the AI help the Safeguard project team showcases the most important findings of the survey conducted in December 2025.