Digital Cultural and Creative Customization of Intangible Cultural Heritage under Human-AI Collaboration: A Case Study of Yunnan Tile-Cat

Abstract

While Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) provides new pathways for the digital innovation of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), current applications often lack a critical methodological framework and view users as passive consumers. To address this gap, this study centers on a key research question: compared with the traditional model where users only passively receive or give feedback on ICH cultural and creative products, how can the human-AI co-creation model empower ordinary users without professional design skills to take the initiative in creating and reinterpreting ICH? The paper focuses on the Yunnan Tile-Cat (Wamao), a unique regional architectural ornament and an endangered intangible cultural heritage, and builds a simple working demo to show how the idea works. Through a formative evaluation, the study examines a dual collaborative workflow. The AI + designer phase speeds up cultural data integration and visual conceptualization. Subsequently, the AI + user mechanism enables public participation through real-time 2D to 3D modeling and AR interaction. This collaborative approach productively reduces creative barriers and improves cultural identity. The findings add to design knowledge by showing that, while AI democratizes creative participation, human designers must actively intervene to overcome AI's semiotic limitations in culturally sensitive settings.

Keywords: AIGC, Human-AI Collaboration, AI + Designer, AI + User, Yunnan Tile-cat

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007646