Malta has officially launched the NotaryPedia Project, a national initiative that combines artificial intelligence with historical preservation to make the country's notarial archives more accessible and interactive.
The platform, which uses advanced AI and knowledge graph technologies, aim to preserve and digitise centuries- old documents while opening them up to researchers, legal professionals, and the public.
The project was announced in a joint press release by the Ministry for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government and the Ministry for Education, Sports, Youth, Research and Innovation. It marks a significant milestone in the digital transformation of Malta's documentary heritage, focusing specifically on notarial manuscripts dating as far back as the fifteenth century.
These include key legal documents such as wills, marriage contracts, dowries, and property transfers, many of which are written in notarial Latin and with contemporary orthography. The goal is to create an interactive platform that not only digitises these texts but also enables automatic transcription and knowledge extraction using intelligent tools.
Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, Owen Bonnici, praised the initiative's potential to place Malta at the forefront of digital heritage innovation. "The NotaryPedia Project will place Malta at the forefront of the digitisation and semantic exploration of historical archives, and will serve as a model for other countries with similar documentary heritage," he said.
Minister Bonnici emphasised that the initiative represents a major step forward in preserving Malta's historical records through technology. He added that the initiative would enhance research capabilities by offering new methods of discovering connections within the archived content.
Education Minister Clifton Grima echoed these sentiments, highlighting the educational and scholarly impact of the project. "This is another project that will give a boost not only to interested researchers, but also to scholars on the subject. We are continuing to make use of Artificial Intelligence for the good of society, with the invaluable contribution of the University of Malta," said Minister Grima.
The NotaryPedia Project is the result of a three-year collaboration between the University of Malta's Department of Artificial Intelligence within the Faculty of ICT, the Ministry for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, and the Notarial Archives Foundation.
Dr Joan Abela ,President of the Notarial Archives Foundation, described the project as "a long-awaited project that will not only preserve a national heritage of historical importance, but will make it accessible in innovative ways." She commended the dedication of the team involved in palaeography, cataloguing, and digitisation, calling it "a proud moment" for all those committed to this field.
Dr Charlie Abela, who leads the project from the Department of Artificial Intelligence, underlined the cultural significance of technological applications. "This is a clear example of how technology can serve cultural good. Using AI, we are making history alive and accessible to all," he stated.
Rector of the University of Malta, Prof. Alfred J. Vella, also welcomed the project as an example of academia contributing to public benefit. "The University's involvement in this initiative demonstrates how our research and academic knowledge are bearing real fruit for society. It is an honour that our expertise is being spread across projects with such a wide impact," he said.
The NotaryPedia platform is expected to become a valuable resource not only for historians and researchers, but also for journalists, students, and members of the public with an interest in Malta's legal and social history. With the integration of AI tools, the platform aims to simplify the complex process of interpreting historical legal documents and make them more searchable and understandable.
By making centuries-old documents accessible through cutting-edge technology, the NotaryPedia Project underscores Malta's commitment to safeguarding its heritage while promoting educational and research innovation.