International Museum Day | How modern technology helps preserve our museums

The celebration of International Museum Day each year (May 18) is an opportunity for museum professionals to alert the general public to the importance of museums. However, this day should also be an opportunity to understand the challenges they face.

Here’s a look at how modern technology is helping to overcome the technical challenges faced by various museums and how it can help preserve the past.

AI in museums

Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly important subject in the cultural sector. Despite the large number of ongoing projects, applications and implementations, the use of AI in museums is still in its infancy. While museums have long focused on creating databases of digital objects, this vast data can now become a scope for machine learning, deep learning, and base model approaches.

Technology has paved the way to make museums more interactive through various tools such as QR codes and downloadable apps on smartphones. We can recall that the Covid The pandemic has created a platform for virtual tours and digital tourism, as well as visiting galleries online via smartphone or laptop apps.

The pandemic effect

In recent times, especially after the pandemic, artificial intelligence has helped digitally transform museum visits. Although it is still in its early stages, the process has already begun. With a 360-degree virtual tour, an art lover can enjoy an immersive experience sitting at home.

To make it more realistic and colorful, AI-based guides can provide even more complex and finer details on the artworks on display. Some museums are also using AI-based chatbots to make visitor engagement even more immersive. These can serve as virtual guides and encourage the younger generation to better understand the culture and heritage of the past.

Humanoid robots like Pepper have also been deployed in some museums to facilitate visitors’ visits. Pepper humanoid robots have reportedly been deployed in at least six “Smithsonian spaces” as part of an experimental program to test how robotic technology can improve visitor experience and educational offerings.

One of Pepper’s major influences is her interactions with customers and how she manages to engage customers from different age groups, especially children.

“Voices from the Front” is a new interactive experience The National Museum of the Second World War which helps visitors connect with the WWII generation in a way that is both high-tech and personal. Blending artificial intelligence technology and pre-recorded responses to hundreds of questions, the experience provides visitors with answers in the words and voice of each respondent. The New Orleans Museum offers visitors the opportunity to interact with the war stories of those who lived through World War II. This type of immersive exhibit gives visitors an insight into the different challenges of World War II.

Today, even as the world has recovered from the pandemic, virtual tours and AI-generated stories are expected to continue with the same enthusiasm for better conservation of centuries-old collections.