Artificial Intelligence and Cultural Heritage: How Museums, Exhibitions and Cultural Sites Are Changing the Way They Tell Their Stories

Introduction

Marco Da Rin Zanco, CEO and Founder of amuseapp, was a guest on an episode of "Storie di Successo", the DIGITALmeet format dedicated to digital innovation, promoted by Fondazione Comunica.

During the interview, discussion focused on a topic that is increasingly central to the cultural sector: the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing cultural heritage and the way new technologies are transforming the visitor experience.

The conversation touched on topics such as cultural accessibility, storytelling, content personalisation, wearable technologies and the future of the museum visit.

In this article, we revisit the topics covered during the episode.

The real problem isn't technology, it's storytelling

When talking about innovation in museums and cultural venues, attention often focuses on technological tools.

In reality, the more important question is another one: how do you tell the story of cultural heritage in a way that is understandable and engaging for everyone?

Italy has one of the richest cultural heritages in the world. However, the mere presence of works, monuments and collections does not automatically guarantee a meaningful experience for the visitor.

Every person enters a museum with a different level of knowledge, a different language, different interests and different expectations. A child, an international tourist and an art historian are not necessarily looking for the same information.

The challenge, therefore, is to make heritage accessible without oversimplifying it, and to create visit routes capable of adapting to the needs of different audiences.

Cultural accessibility goes beyond physical barriers

During the interview, an important reflection emerged on the concept of accessibility.

Accessibility is often associated exclusively with motor, cognitive or sensory disabilities. In reality, there is a broader dimension that we can call universal accessibility.

A cultural venue is truly accessible when it manages to speak the visitor's language, use the right level of depth, and turn complex content into experiences that are understandable and engaging.

The goal is not just to allow access to a physical space, but to enable every person to fully understand and experience the heritage they are visiting.

Artificial intelligence is already changing visitor behaviour

In recent years, a clear shift has taken place.

More and more people are using artificial intelligence tools to get information about works of art, monuments and cultural sites. It is now common to see visitors photograph a work and ask an AI assistant to explain what they are looking at.

This phenomenon responds to a real need: visitors want content that is personalised, immediate and easily accessible.

However, this approach can create a rift between the visitor and the cultural venue.

When information is provided exclusively by external platforms, there is a risk that the narrative built by curators, scholars, directors and guides is completely bypassed.

In major international museums, this problem may be limited by the amount of information available online. In small museums, churches, minor archaeological sites or lesser-known venues, however, information generated by artificial intelligence can be incomplete, inaccurate or lacking the necessary context.

How to use AI without replacing cultural professionals

One of the central points of the discussion concerns the role that artificial intelligence should play in the cultural sector.

The goal should not be to replace the work of professionals, but to amplify its impact.

Curators, tour guides, art historians, archaeologists and museum managers possess expertise built through years of study and research. This expertise represents the true cultural value of a place.

Artificial intelligence can step in to speed up operational tasks that would otherwise take a lot of time: turning specialist documentation into accessible content, creating shorter or more in-depth versions of the same content, translating materials into dozens of languages and adapting the narrative for different audiences.

In this model, AI becomes a tool at the service of culture, not a substitute for culture itself.

From a simple app to a platform for cultural enhancement

During the conversation, Marco Da Rin Zanco explained how the idea behind amuseapp already existed several years before the startup was founded.

The first versions of the project were conceived as simple applications in which content for visitors could be uploaded.

The arrival of generative artificial intelligence, however, radically changed the scenario.

Today, it is possible to quickly turn complex materials into audio guides, itineraries and personalised content, reducing production times and costs and enabling continuous updates.

This has made it possible to move from a simple technological tool to a concrete solution for cultural venues, capable of improving both the work of staff and the visitor experience.

The future of the cultural visit: beyond the smartphone

Another topic addressed during the interview concerns the evolution of digital interfaces.

While over the last twenty years the smartphone has been the main tool for accessing digital content, in the coming years new wearable technologies could take hold.

Smart glasses, augmented reality devices and other wearable solutions could make accessing information even more natural.

In the future, a visitor could receive in-depth information, directions and audio content simply by looking at a work of art or a historic building, without having to take their phone out of their pocket.

This is not about replacing reality with virtual experiences, but about enriching the real world with additional layers of knowledge and interpretation.

Culture and artificial intelligence: a question of responsibility

The final reflection to emerge from the interview concerns the relationship between artificial intelligence, knowledge and the search for meaning.

Culture is not just a set of information to be conveyed. It is also interpretation, dialogue, the exchange of viewpoints and a continuous search for meaning.

For this reason, it is important to use artificial intelligence with awareness, especially in sensitive areas such as history, art and cultural heritage.

Technologies can help make culture more accessible, more inclusive and closer to people. But the deep value of culture continues to lie in the questions it asks us, the perspectives it offers us and its ability to help us better understand the world around us.

Conclusions

Artificial intelligence represents one of the greatest opportunities for the cultural sector in recent decades.

The challenge is not to choose between technology and culture, but to use technology to enhance the work of those who study, preserve and tell the story of culture every day.

It is precisely in this balance between innovation and human expertise that the future of the cultural experience will be decided.