In October, the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) hosted their second annual Future of Museums Summit, hosted by Elizabeth Merritt, AAM’s vice president of strategic foresight and founding director of the Center for the Future of Museums. The summit focused on four themes that emerged from this year’s TrendsWatch report:

  • Culture Wars 2.0
    • What role can museums play in bridging the gaps that divide the communities they serve? This theme featured presentations relating to attacks on DEAI, civic engagement, and organized protests.
  • AI Adolescence
    • How can museums use generative AI? What are the potential risks and benefits of doing so?
  • Decarbonizing the Future
    • With the threat climate change poses to museums across the country, what can museums do to reduce their own carbon footprints?
  • Combating the Loneliness Crisis
    • What role can museums play in advocating for awareness of and acting as a place of support for those experiencing loneliness and depression? This theme was inspired by Vivek Murthy’s report, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The US Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community.

With so many concurrent sessions, it was hard to choose which presentations to attend live, but AAM recorded each presentation and shared the recordings with attendees post summit. AI was a constant theme, with sessions focusing on examples of policy, showcasing how institutions apply the technology, and surfacing concerns about data privacy and job security. Other sessions highlighted the potential benefits of AI, including increased inclusivity and accessibility in exhibitions and the opportunity for staff to learn a new set of skills. Meanwhile, presenters also expressed concerns about the racial and gender biases present within AI and how those biases could affect the material showcased to audience members. But overwhelmingly, concerns about generative AI boiled down to job security and how AI will upend careers across all fields. To this, some presenters emphasized that museum professionals will need to make an effort to learn new skills, because while AI won’t replace humans, humans using AI could replace humans not using it.

A panel representing Canadian museums discussed how museum leadership can navigate turbulent times by keeping core values at the forefront. The speakers covered topics such as misinformation, polarization, climate change, and the role of museums as safe spaces for both staff and visitors. It was interesting to hear how each of these leaders managed their institutions during tough periods of time. One key takeaway was the idea that “if we are not living by our values when times are tough, we’re not really living our values,” highlighting the importance of a leader grounding their team in the museum’s values, even when not facing a crisis.

Susan Clayton, professor and department chair of psychology at the College of Wooster, presented on The Psychological Impacts of Climate Change. She described the impacts of climate change on mental health, including PTSD, depression, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s, just to name a few. At the end of her presentation, she explained how museums can help to educate people about the impacts of climate change—through sharing trustworthy information, promoting care through interest and connection in the exhibits, as well as creating a supportive context for sharing reactions with fellow museumgoers.

On the theme of museums and mental health resources, I was particularly struck by sessions on strategies to combat the loneliness crisis. Molly Phillips of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Charlotte, North Carolina presented on Piloting a Museum Prescription Program, and showcased a newly implemented program providing community engagement programs covered through insurance. To address the intersecting issues of social connection and health, museums across the country have been collaborating with healthcare providers and insurance companies to offer members of the community a chance for human connection.[1] A team from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) focused on a number of programs to connect community members and combat ageism by intentionally creating an intergenerational space for community members to learn from one another. These included workshops to teach craft techniques like embroidery, knitting, and crochet, as well as sessions for mindfulness and meditation exercises.

As a first-time attendee of the Future of Museums Summit, I left with a lot to consider. Personally, the summit made me wonder how my experience as a museum goer could change as more museums integrate AI into their exhibitions. I’m eager to further explore the summit’s central themes in our upcoming museum projects, while also building on our past and ongoing research on generative AI and climate change. We look forward to sharing more on these projects in the upcoming months.

[1] Over the past decade, organizations in the galleries, libraries, archives, and museums sector have increased their resources in response to mental health needs of their students, staff, and community members. For more information on library’s role in providing mental health services, please read: https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/suicide-prevention-in-the-library/