MCN 2026

Museums are increasingly experimenting with AI-driven interpretation tools, but what are the possibilities for the museum itself becoming a public laboratory for testing how visitors interact with AI?

At the MIT Museum, one of our strategic goals is to become a public lab for MIT. We have been developing and studying multiple approaches to conversational and embodied AI interpretation, including:

•               A multilingual AI-powered gallery guide

•               DebunkBot, an exhibit exploring misinformation and trust

•               An AI-enabled robotic docent and wayfinding experience based on Jibo technology

These projects explore how different forms of AI — handheld, embedded within exhibits, or physically present in gallery spaces — shape visitor inquiry, engagement, trust, and learning.

This interactive session invites participants to examine three distinct AI interpretation models and discuss questions such as:

•               Do visitors trust AI differently inside museums?

•               Can museums use AI to help visitors think critically about AI itself?

•               What forms of AI best support curiosity, accessibility, and conversation?

•               How can museums ethically conduct live visitor-centered AI experimentation in public spaces?

•               How can AI deepen engagement with exhibit content?

•               How can museums bring AI into museums to augment the visitor experience without infringing on staff presence and visitor interaction?

Participants will break into small groups to explore real-world scenarios drawn from active MIT Museum projects as well as projects from the home museums of session paerticipants. Group conversation will allow cross-pollination of ideas, best practices, and lessons learned across the museum field, as we collaboratively reflect on the opportunities, tensions, and future directions of AI in museum environments. Then each group will report out and share their experiences with AI.

Session Format: 45-minute interactive session

•    15 min framing presentation

•    20 min small-group discussion activity

•    10 min report-out and synthesis