XR and AI in Cultural Heritage Platforms: A Taxonomic Framework

This paper develops a taxonomic framework for the comparative analysis of digital platforms supporting the fruition, creation, and management of immersive cultural heritage environments. Drawing on a structured review of twenty-three European and international platforms, the study organises them into three functional layers: digital repositories oriented toward preservation and 3D dissemination; immersive authoring environments that translate digitised content into interactive XR experiences; and AI-augmented platforms introducing generative, adaptive, and monitoring capabilities. Each platform is evaluated across five dimensions: content accessibility, immersive capability, AI integration modality, open-access policy, and technical interoperability. Results reveal a progressive convergence between spatial computing, real-time rendering, and generative AI, alongside structural tensions around intellectual property, digital obsolescence, and epistemological transparency. Positioned within the UID 2026 focus on Contaminations and hybridizations, the contribution situates digital platforms as hybrid artefacts analogous to the hippogriff of Ariosto capable of carrying cultural heritage across ontological boundaries, from stone archive to generative simulation.