The Internet Archive opens a Swiss relay at a time when digital memory is faced with two vulnerabilities: the erasure of collections exposed to conflicts, disasters, or censorship, and the rapid disappearance of artificial intelligence systems that are already impacting knowledge production.
The new entity operates independently within its national framework while remaining aligned with the historical objective set by Brewster Kahle in 1996: universal access to all knowledge. Its website states that it collects and preserves digital information for learning and research in response to the volatility of formats, rapid content deletions, and the decline of open access.
A distributed digital memory
The first project, dedicated to endangered collections, targets vulnerable archives. The foundation indicates that it is working with UNESCO and other partners to provide a secure digital refuge for threatened documents. A UNESCO conference scheduled in Paris in November 2026 will mark the first public step in this direction.
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The second focus is on generative artificial intelligence. In collaboration with the School of Computer Science at the University of St. Gallen, under the leadership of Professor Damian Borth, the organization supports a project aimed at preserving snapshots of AI models, their responses, knowledge, and behaviors. The challenge lies in their instability – a trained, updated, and then removed model rarely leaves a trace that can be examined.
St. Gallen also brings a heritage dimension. The foundation notes that the abbey’s archives, which hosted the launch on May 5th, embody over a thousand years of preservation. Executive Director Roman Griesfelder summarizes this choice with a translated statement: “St. Gallen is a very suitable place to advance the preservation of our universal knowledge. Stability and innovation go hand in hand.”
A sensitive subject for publishing
For book professionals, this expansion comes after years of confrontation between the Internet Archive and American publishers. ActuaLitté followed the legal dispute that began in 2020 with Hachette, HarperCollins, Wiley, and Penguin Random House over digital pricing control, which ended unfavorably for the organization in terms of copyright and digital distribution.
The opening of a Swiss center does not reopen this legal case; it shifts the focus to memory infrastructures. Alongside Internet Archive Canada and Internet Archive Europe, the St. Gallen foundation embeds the preservation of cultural data in a more distributed network, where legal stability, university partnerships, and protection of fragile collections are key to long-term access.
Photo credits: illustration, John Blyberg, CC BY 2.0
By Cécile Mazin
Contact: cm@actualitte.com
