From Captions to Catalogues: A Systematic Review of GenAI Models for Image Captioning and Their Role in Image Cataloguing

Abstract

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is revolutionizing image captioning and cataloguing by automating metadata creation and enhancing retrieval accuracy. This review analyses 60 articles regarding the use of GenAI in image captioning and its potential benefits for image cataloguing. The study highlights the leading GenAI models employed in image captioning and explores how these advancements could assist with image cataloguing. Based on the literature review, a framework for image cataloguing systems is proposed, inspired by the application of GenAI in image captioning. Future research could test and utilize this framework to improve image cataloguing in libraries. © 2025 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.