MCN 2026

As AI rapidly reshapes user expectations of digital products, museums face a pivotal question: how do we thoughtfully evolve our online collection interfaces — and where do we invest first?

Do we prioritize AI-powered search? AI-augmented records? Or user-facing conversational features that invite visitors to explore collections on their own terms? Each path carries different implications for trust, accuracy, and long-term sustainability.

Panelists will share real-world collection redesign projects, their frameworks for evaluating AI features and functionality, and their roadmaps for future integration. We'll also explore what becomes possible when we think beyond institutional boundaries — sharing technical approaches, case studies, and object data across institutions.

This is a panel for practitioners actively building, experimenting, and wrestling with these decisions. Join us for an honest conversation about tradeoffs, priorities, and what it means to design collection experiences for a world where AI isn't a feature — it's an expectation.