The digital transformation, which is also being closely followed by the German Museums Association (Deutscher Museumsbund e.V.), is opening up new horizons for museums to inspire visitors and improve internal processes. One of the most promising technologies in this field is AI agents. But what exactly does this term mean, and what specific potential do they offer for small and medium-sized museums? This article highlights how AI agents work, their applications in museum operations, and how they can revolutionize the creation of multimedia guides.
What are AI Agents?
An AI agent is an intelligent system that goes beyond the capabilities of a conventional chatbot. While a simple chatbot is limited to predefined answers, an AI agent can autonomously understand, plan, and execute tasks to achieve complex goals. To do this, it accesses various tools and knowledge bases, learns from interactions, and can independently develop solutions to problems.
Imagine a specialized assistant that not only relays information but actively supports research, content creation, and even answering individual visitor questions.
Distinction: ChatGPT vs. AI Agent
The essential difference between a general language model like ChatGPT and a specialized AI agent lies in its autonomy and connected tools.
ChatGPT is a powerful language model trained on a massive but general dataset. It requires a new, precise instruction (prompt) from the user for every task.
AI agents, in contrast, are typically designed for specific tasks. They can independently create multi-step plans, access external, verified data sources, and execute actions to achieve a goal. As Deutsche Telekom aptly notes in an article about AI agents, they can “think, act, and observe autonomously: They execute tasks, automate entire processes, or provide support at the right moment.” AI agents can act proactively, whereas a classic chatbot waits reactively for user input.
So, a simple chatbot can answer a question. An AI agent can independently handle a task, such as creating a thematic audio guide text, from research to final formulation.
How can AI agents specifically help in a museum?
For museum directors and education/outreach staff, the use of AI agents offers diverse opportunities to mitigate staff shortages, increase efficiency, and enrich the visitor experience.
1) Research and Content Creation for Educational Purposes
Creating high-quality educational content is time-consuming. An AI agent can act as an assistant here.
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Structuring and Planning: The agent helps outline exhibition texts or conceptualize an audio guide tour.
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Source Research: It can specifically search internal databases and archives to find relevant primary sources, images, or documents for a specific exhibit.
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Text Generation: Based on keywords, an outline, or existing rough drafts, the agent can formulate engaging and target-group-appropriate texts for various formats (gallery texts, audio guides, social media).
With the nuseum curator space, this process is seamlessly integrated. The AI agent learns the museum’s individual writing style from existing texts. This allows it to create multiple, stylistically coordinated audio guide titles from just a few keywords, which fit authentically into the overall exhibition. This enables enormous time savings in creating and adapting content.
2) Answering Visitor Questions
Every visitor has individual interests and a different level of knowledge. An AI agent can function as a personal companion that quenches this thirst for knowledge and provides greater accessibility.
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Supplementing Background Knowledge: Visitors can use their smartphones to ask questions about details that go beyond the audio guide text—be it the definition of a technical term, historical classifications, or biographical information about an artist.
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Interactive Storytelling: The dialogue with an AI agent enables a non-linear and interactive engagement with the content. A study by the University of Vienna showed that digital interaction increases enjoyment of the content, making the experience significantly more personal and memorable.
The nuseum copilot integrates such an AI agent directly into the browser-based audio guide. This chatbot assists visitors and answers questions in real-time. The decisive advantage: The nuseum copilot exclusively accesses the knowledge base curated and approved by the museum. Misinformation or the “hallucinating” of facts is thus reliably prevented. The quality of the answers always remains under the museum’s control.
More than a Gimmick: The Strategic Value of AI Agents for Museums
In summary, it can be stated that AI agents are far more than just a technical gimmick. They are powerful tools that support museums in carrying out their core tasks—collecting, preserving, and educating—more efficiently and effectively in the digital age.
As the German Museums Association emphasizes, the digital transformation “has become a cross-sectional task that is changing the entire museum.” Through the targeted use of AI agents, it becomes possible to create a richer, more interactive, and more personal experience for every single visitor, even with limited resources. Museums that recognize and utilize this potential will not only secure their relevance in a changing media landscape but also open up new paths for knowledge dissemination and cultural exchange. The future of museums will be inextricably linked with the intelligent integration of AI technologies to ensure a living and sustainable cultural heritage.
