Yael Eylat Van-Essen PhD – Curator / Researcher

Integrating AI in Museums - A New Phase in Museum Transformation

Museums have undergone significant changes in recent decades in the way they function and in the definition of their goals. From institutions focused on representing and preserving the values of the past – they now aim to reflect contemporary reality, acknowledging their responsibility to convey the challenges of the future, while remaining committed to the values of democracy, cooperation and transparency.1 Beyond reflecting the ideological, geopolitical, economic and social transformations that have taken place during this period, these changes are also imbued with the mark of the technological advances of the digital era (Bast, Carayannis & Campbell 2018), (Proctor 2021). Digital technologies manifest themselves in museums not only through their integration within museums but, first and foremost, in the cultural transformations the digital revolution has generated. The assimilation of new technologies in museums has connected museums with what can be referred to as digital being and digital thinking, while becoming part of a digital ecosystem of networks and collaborative platforms, combining the physical with the virtual (Giannini & Bowen 2019).

The latest phase in the museum’s digital evolution is the inclusion of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, which is currently at its primary stages and is directed mainly at specific museum domains: from knowledge organization, through curatorial and interpretation practices, to interaction with visitors and institution management. This paper will suggest that AI has the potential to significantly alter the museum institution and can mark a new phase in its continuous transformation.

This proposed paper will examine how the various operational trajectories, made possible by the new AI tools, change basic museum concepts and affect the museum’s performance as an overall comprehensive system. Recognizing the inherent biases of AI systems, on the one hand, and acknowledging their potential contribution to the scientification of museum research processes and optimization of museum operations, on the other hand, requires an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms on which AI systems operate and their potential implications to the museum’s overall performance and the value systems they represent.

Yet, to understand the profound potential impact of AI technologies in museums, this paper will examine not only the different ways in which AI applications are being implemented in museums but also the infrastructures and mechanisms on which they operate: The different agents and stakeholders (revealed and concealed) involved in these processes and the power structures that they form. In this context, it will explore how the distinct ecosystem generated by AI industries, governmental and academic funding for developments and innovations in the fields of AI and cultural heritage is affecting how museums are being structured.