Findings of the first UNESCO–ICOM Global Survey on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Museums will be presented at the Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (GFEAI) 2026 in Riyadh on 17 September. Surveying more than 400 museums across 90 countries, the study finds that 57% of responding museums are already using AI, while 55% have no internal AI policy, strategy or guidelines. The findings point to a sector moving rapidly into experimentation, while institutional capacity, governance and training struggle to keep pace.
“Museums around the world are already experimenting with AI, while navigating important questions around ethics, trust and professional responsibility. This survey gives us a clearer picture of that evolving landscape and will help ICOM support museums in making informed decisions about whether, when and how AI should be used. With ICOM’s newly revised Code of Ethics now explicitly addressing digital technologies, ICOM also wants to ensure that the values and expertise of museums help shape the responsible development and use of AI.”
– Medea S. Ekner, Director General of ICOM
The survey shows that AI is being used across a growing range of museum activities, notably administration (70%), communication (62%), research and documentation (43%), as well as exhibition development and visitor engagement. Yet adoption remains largely exploratory or staff-led rather than institution-wide. Only 17% of museums report providing AI training to staff.
“The findings point to a sector at a critical stage of AI adoption: experimentation is moving faster than institutional capacity and governance. UNESCO, working with ICOM, will continue to help museums build the skills, policies and ethical frameworks they need to decide when, where and how AI can best serve their cultural, educational and social missions.”
– Mr. Nayef Al-Fayez, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture
Museums also identified accuracy, copyright and intellectual property, data protection, transparency and bias among their main concerns. Respondents called for practical guidance, training, stronger data governance and opportunities to share experience and good practice.
The survey documents a wide range of approaches, from community-led AI for safeguarding cultural knowledge at the Maasai Heritage Museum in Kenya, to AI-supported visitor engagement at the Museum of Tomorrow in Brazil, and applications for collections research, accessibility and documentation in museums across different regions.
The findings will help inform efforts to support museums and museum professionals as they evaluate emerging technologies in accordance with their ethical responsibilities and their missions to serve society. They also contribute to the implementation of the 2015 UNESCO Recommendation on the Protection and Promotion of Museums and Collections, their Diversity and their Role in Society and the 2021 UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, alongside the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums.