The curatorial voice in the age of AI

Around a third of visitors used AI assistants such as ChatGPT to access museum content last year; during their most recent visit, more people turned to AI than to audio guides. It is striking that they continue to trust the museum more than the AI. They turn to AI nonetheless because it provides the simpler answer at the moment they ask their question. For museums, this presents a concrete opportunity. Those that make their own content as accessible as a chatbot become the very answer visitors are seeking and remain the source they trust most anyway.

Drawing on Musa’s study ‘State of AI in Museums 2026’ and experiences from international projects, the talk demonstrates how museums can meet this demand without relinquishing control over their content. The aim is to bring the museum’s curatorial voice to life, prevent misinformation and view visitors’ questions as a valuable source from which a museum can learn about its audience.