Project title: Socially Mindful AI: Responsible Technologies in Museums (SMART-Muse)
Project duration: 1 September 2026 – 31 August 2029
Principal Investigator: Assoc. Prof. Dr Ingrida Kelpšienė
Funding: The project is funded by the European Union Structural Funds under the EU Funds Investment Programme for 2021–2027, Measure No. 12-001-01-01-01 “Improving the Research and Study
Environment”, activity “My First Research Team”. The programme is administered by the Research Council of Lithuania.
Project No.: 10-092-P-0001
Summary: The project will examine how artificial intelligence (AI) can be ethically and strategically integrated into museum communication, knowledge mediation, and public engagement, with particular attention to how AI is transforming museum communication practices, narrative creation, and the notion of institutional authority. It will explore how museums, as cultural “custodians”, are rethinking their role in the context of AI – from curating and interpreting cultural content to creating, applying, and validating algorithmically generated narratives, with the aim of meaningfully engaging museum audiences.
The project addresses a critical gap between the rapid development of AI technologies and the museum sector’s preparedness to apply them meaningfully, strategically, and responsibly within the cultural sector. To this end, a mixed-methods approach will be employed, combining a national-scale quantitative survey with qualitative interviews and focus groups involving experts in museum practice, museum representatives, and other key stakeholders. This research will identify current AI practices in museums, prevailing attitudes and experiences, and institutional capacities. In addition, pilot experiments in Lithuanian museums will enable the empirical testing and evaluation of specific generative AI application scenarios in real-world but controlled settings.
Expected outcomes: The project aims not only to assess the potential of AI technologies in museums but also to identify the challenges associated with their integration, including questions of authorship, authenticity, transparency, and accountability. Particular attention will be paid to the perspective of museum visitors, examining how they perceive AI-generated content, how its use affects trust in museums, and what new forms of public engagement it may enable. The ultimate goal of the project is to generate evidence-based and practically applicable insights and recommendations to support museums in making informed strategic decisions about AI integration. This will include the development of institutional readiness assessment models and ethical guidelines, as well as the creation and testing of socially responsible audience engagement solutions. The project will generate scientific, economic, social, and cultural impact by promoting the sustainable and responsible adoption of AI in the cultural sector.