Call for papers Museum International: ‘Artificial Intelligence in Museums’

Call for papers: Museum International

Artificial Intelligence in Museums: Vol. 79, No. 315-316

ICOM is preparing an issue of Museum International on the theme of ‘Artificial Intelligence in Museums’ (Vol. 79, Nº 315-316). All proposals submitted will be assessed for suitability, and if chosen, the subsequent articles will go through a double-blind peer review process. The issue is expected to be published, in collaboration with Taylor & Francis/Routledge, in December 2027.

Deadline: 9 November 2026

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping the ways museums operate, whether in terms of collecting, preserving, interpreting or communicating our cultural heritage. From automated cataloguing and machine-learning models for collection management, integrating collections metadata across collecting institutions at national and continental scales, to exhibition design and conversational interfaces in visitor management, AI offers new opportunities for museum management, while also presenting profound ethical, social and professional challenges.

Museums have long been regarded as institutions of cultural authority and public trust, serving as stewards of cultural heritage and shaping how societies understand, interpret and remember the past. As AI technologies become increasingly embedded in museum practice, fundamental questions arise about the sustainability of that authority and public trust. The nature of museums’ expertise is evolving, and questions arise around representation bias, intellectual property, historical accuracy, accessibility, sustainability and the future roles of museum professionals. AI also prompts renewed reflections on the relationships between human creativity and technology, the ethics of digital heritage and the roles and responsibilities of museums in the age of rapidly evolving digital technologies.