Research Trends and Knowledge Structure of Artificial Intelligence Applications for Intangible Cultural Heritage

Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is practice-based and closely embedded in specific cultural contexts.Digital preservation and dissemination require processing diverse cultural materials, including images, texts, and movement data.Artificial intelligence (AI) supports the intelligent recognition of ICH materials, the organization of cultural knowledge, and the generation of cultural content.Using bibliometric analysis and knowledge mapping, this study analyzes and visualizes 438 relevant publications from the Web of Science Core Collection.It examines research trends, knowledge structures, and thematic evolution in this field.The findings show that research on applying AI to ICH has increased markedly in recent years.The research community has continued to expand, and publications span multiple disciplines, indicating a clear interdisciplinary nature.Keyword analysis and thematic evolution reveal that related studies have gradually shifted from pattern recognition and basic classification based on material and compositional analysis of traditional craft-related objects to digital documentation, intelligent analysis, and generative AI applications.Overall, AI is advancing ICH research from basic analysis and pattern recognition toward intelligent analysis, knowledge organization, and innovative dissemination.This study clarifies the field's developmental trajectory and provides a reference for future research on the digital preservation of ICH, support for heritage transmission, and innovation in cultural dissemination.