As we move into 2023, technology and digital transformation have become increasingly important for museums & cultural organizations. Despite the expectation of growth post pandemic, many face rising inflation alongside tightened budgets and staff shortages – not to mention the threat of recession looming.
As new technology revolutionizes the museum experience, Gartner's annual tech trends forecast helps us all stay ahead of the game. This year's report offers a fascinating glimpse of the cutting-edge technologies - from enabling data-driven decisions and extending visitor experiences to facilitating smooth operations - that all have the potential to help museums and cultural institutions grow and thrive in 2023.
Read on to explore what six of the top technology trends for 2023 could mean for arts and culture!
1. Digital immune system
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, chances are you’ve learned the importance of prioritizing your physical health and bolstering your immune system. But what about your digital immune system?
According to Gartner, a Digital Immune System (DIS) “combines practices and technologies from observability, artificial intelligence (AI)-augmented testing, chaos engineering, autoremediation, site reliability engineering and software supply chain security to increase the resilience of products, services and systems.” In simple terms, a digital immune system is just like a biological one – an integration of defensive mechanisms and processes that protect vulnerabilities in the system and help build resilience. In today’s world, with the rising importance of cybersecurity and data privacy protections, a strong immune system has never been more important.
But what does this mean for museums?
We know that cyberattacks have not spared the arts & culture industry. In just the last few months, four renowned historical institutions have fallen prey to costly data breaches and ransomware attacks - the Cincinnati Museum Center, Cleveland Museum of Art, The Winterthur Museum and National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. These pesky cyber-attacks can quickly sour relationships with visitors and members borne out of trust; disrupt operational efficiency; and cause major financial ruin. In fact, according to IBM's 2022 data breach report, the average cost of a ransomware breach was $4.54 million – and that doesn’t even include the cost of the ransom itself.
Privacy and security concerns are only gaining importance, and in the years to come it will be critical for cultural institutions to invest in efforts to build up digital immunity and construct a robust internal infrastructure, in order to create safer digital systems with an enhanced user experience for visitors, members, and donors alike.
→ Read more: 3 Reasons Why Museums & Nonprofits Should Be Thinking About Cybersecurity
2. AI Trust, Risk and Security Management (AI TRiSM)
Photo: “Pepper” the robot greets a visitor at the Smithsonian Institute
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming virtually every industry - from healthcare, to retail, education, music streaming, navigation and autonomous vehicles - and with the release of OpenAI’s DALL-E and ChatGPT tools, it’s clear that machine learning is on a path to transform the arts and culture landscape as well.
When it comes to museums, AI is already being incorporated into everything from curation, archiving and art preservation, to enhancing the visitor experience through gamified exhibits, AI-powered multilingual translations, and robotics – as with Smithsonian’s “Pepper”, a friendly 4-foot-tall robot who can answer questions, give directions, and even pose for selfies with visitors.
Yet while AI offers immense potential for problem solving on many fronts, museums and cultural organizations hoping to leverage this powerful tool will also need to grapple with the associated risks, including accusations of bias and plagiarism, as well as labor market risks, privacy concerns and security vulnerabilities.
To that end, Gartner has proposed a framework through which to approach AI: With precautions and safety measures such as consistent monitoring, risk analysis, and prioritizing transparency, cultural organizations can maximize the value offered by this cutting edge technology.Plus, “organizations that operationalize AI transparency, trust and security” will, according to data from Gartner, “see their AI models achieve a 50% result improvement in terms of adoption, business goals and user acceptance.” By investing in Artificial Intelligence Trust, Risk and Security Management (AI TRiSM), we can ensure this powerful tool is employed safely and effectively.
3. Industry cloud platforms
As the world of technology advances, more and more museums are exploring cloud-native platforms to securely store and manage their growing collections. With an array of providers like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Services, and Microsoft Azure now on offer at cost effective rates (and non-profit discounts), institutions have more options than ever before for storing digital assets and hosting their various sites and systems.
The benefits of cloud computing are numerous, including heightened security, improved management of digital assets, and more agility and scalability for your staff. Lack of physical server costs and maintenance allows organizations to save money and focus on activities that generate revenue while being confident of automatic backups and upgrades ensuring a secure system.
The Smithsonian Institute, for example, preserves its digital media with an innovative enterprise asset management system. This versatile platform provides secure storage, easy access and delivery of content while connecting to other elements in the Smithsonian's expansive digital universe. At The Art Institute of Chicago, engineers have built a "data hub" system - an Application Programming Interface (API) – that collects information from its internal systems for use in various applications such as digital publications, mobile apps and events. This API intentionally makes the museum's collections available via external channels so it can be shared with audiences near and far.
In 2023, the potential for cloud-based technology to transform the arts and culture is being amplified through the use of industry cloud platforms: By transforming traditionally separate cloud services into customized, industry-specific solutions, organizations are able to be more agile, get new ideas faster, and save time.
While most museums do not have the resources or internal engineering expertise to build out their API like the Art Institute of Chicago or Cleveland Museum of Art, industry-specific cloud platforms offer the promise of access to similarly robust, resilient solutions – and the opportunity to create personalized initiatives with capabilities designed just for them. And because collaboration is key to success for cultural institutions and the value they provide constituents, improving the flow of information with industry cloud platforms can help streamline internal communication and institutional operations, whether it's in development, education, membership operations, or administration.
By leveraging these powerful networks at an industry scale, museums can maximize consistency and collaboration to improve efficiencies, access new data sources, bolster engagement with audiences around the world, and grow sustainable revenue streams – all while providing enriching experiences for visitors both physical and virtual alike.
4. Superapps
As museums and other cultural institutions strive to remain relevant in an ever-evolving digital age, utilizing the right tools can be key to helping unlock their true potential. Will “superapps” be one of them?
A superapp, according to Gartner’s report, is “an app that provides end-users (customers, partners or employees) with a set of core features plus access to independently created mini-apps. The superapp is built as a platform to deliver a mini-apps ecosystem that users can choose from to activate for consistent and personalized app experiences.” Gartner likens these services to swiss army knives - with tools designed for multiple uses all working together to create the ultimate user journey.
Companies like China’s WeChat and Revolut – a “U.K.-based fintech superapp that offers digital banking services for consumers and has expanded its ecosystem into businesses, where small and midsize businesses and freelancers can offer services in the superapp” – are leveraging the technology to provide their customers with improved mobile experiences, while also creating designated work hubs in order to streamline employee experience across multiple apps. Recently, even Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has thrown his hat in the ring with plans to create a superapp – called “X” – that has video chat, messaging, streaming and payment capabilities.
As mobile-native generations age, the demand for mobile-first experiences will continue to grow. In fact, as early as November of 2021, “67% of consumers in the United States reported being interested in integrating multiple digital experiences in one superapp.” Superapps offer the promise of a holistic, personalized digital experience – tailored to the preferences and habits of individual users.
So, what does all this mean for museums?
More and more cultural organizations are recognizing the growing demand for mobile platforms, adopting comprehensive mobile apps into their membership models and visitor experiences, and using mobile engagement solutions like SMS Text Messaging to connect with and engage their members. Organizations like the Washington State History Museum, Rockford Art Museum, and White House Historical Association offer diverse experiences through their mobile apps, including educational resources, lectures and popular programs, and curated digital tours users can enjoy from the comfort of their homes.
According to Gartner, more than half of the global population will be daily active users of multiple superapps by 2027. So as mobile engagement gains dominance, it will only become more essential for cultural institutions of all kinds to deliver digital content in a unified, conveniently integrated package.
→ Pro Tip: Mobile engagement isn’t just for kids and adults – with more and more older adults using smartphones and text messages, mobile apps and communication channels like SMS have become essential tools for museums to stay connected with and engage their older audiences!
5. Metaverse
Gartner predicts that “By 2027, over 40% of large organizations worldwide will be using a combination of Web3, spatial computing and digital twins in metaverse-based projects aimed at increasing revenue.”
But, what is the metaverse?
Simply put, it’s a virtual world. Gartner defines it broadly as a set of technologies that “allow people to replicate or enhance their physical activities…by transporting or extending physical activities to a virtual world or by transforming the physical one.” Ever since Facebook rebranded as “Meta” and following the NFT craze that first arose in 2021, public imagination has been consumed by the promise and potential of these technologies.
So, what does this mean for museums and cultural organizations?
For one, although visitors have begun returning in-person, few museums have reached pre-pandemic audience levels, and demand for virtual events and experiences continues to increase. That demand is reflected in the similar growth of the global virtual events market, which was valued at $110.2 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $617.33 billion by 2030. As a result, cultural institutions of every kind are taking the cue to explore the potential of virtual platforms.
As cultural organizations explore their presence in this new world – with an eye on digitizing collections, designing exhibitions like never before seen and creating social communities through immersive experiences - they are seeing just how much more it has to offer than traditional physical museums. Could gamifying engagement be possible? What other ways can unexpected connections between patrons and artwork come alive within these virtual environments?
London’s Serpentine Gallery has taken innovation to the next level by introducing a unique hybrid approach for their exhibition of artwork by the American artist KAWS. Combining physical, digital and virtual installations in collaboration with the online game Fortnite, visitors can enjoy an immersive experience in person or from home - whether through augmented reality online platforms or participating virtually. Other cultural organizations are incorporating games like Minecraft into their exhibitions – or building immersive experiences onsite through the use of augmented reality.
With the launch of “Sotheby’s Metaverse,” the emergence of metaverse-native art galleries, unique opportunities to explore and learn from institutions like the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in the virtual platform SecondLife, and initiatives to utilize the metaverse for preserving historical sites, it’s clear that arts and culture organizations are making an early mark on the virtual landscape.
→ Read more: Will Museums & Cultural Institutions Find A Place In The Metaverse?
6. Sustainable technology
Image: The California Academy of Sciences’ Living Roof
As we enter 2023, more and more industries are becoming conscientious about their environmental impact and focused on setting sustainability goals. This is true from the energy sector to retail, manufacturing, tech, and, of course, museums. Sustainability has long been a priority for many leaders in the arts and culture industry, but as the sector continues to transition to digital infrastructures, concepts like “sustainable technology” are gaining traction in the form of waste reduction, environmental education, and green building design:
With a mission to be the world's greenest museum, the California Academy of Sciences is home to an impressive 2.5-acre Living Roof - complete with solar panels! It helps reduce energy consumption thanks to insulation from 1.7 million plants that attract birds, insects and more - literally transforming carbon dioxide into oxygen as part of nature’s cycle! Plus it catches excess stormwater too, so you'll soon see why it’s been dubbed a haven for sustainability.
Or step inside the inspiring world of Natural History at Utah's breathtaking Rio Tinto Center – a sustainable architectural marvel holding over 1.2 million objects in its 163,000 square-foot oasis and powered by more than 1,400 solar panels that provide a quarter of their energy needs. What’s more, there was hardly any waste generated during construction – 75% or higher was recycled from the project alone.
Another trailblazing museum in the realm of sustainability is The Exploratorium, which is taking green living to a new level. They've put their mission into action by renovating an historic building at San Francisco's Pier 15 with recycled materials, resulting in its prestigious platinum LEED-certification. Plus, the museum has gone beyond just sustainability—their rooftop solar panels generate 2,000 MWh of clean energy each year – enough to cover 76% of their total annual needs.
As well as sustainable building design, museums also play a role in climate change education and outreach projects, highlighting key issues through climate-focused art, history, and science exhibitions. Plus, Gartner reports that “Investments in sustainable technology also have the potential to create greater operational resiliency and financial performance, while providing new avenues of growth.” As museums everywhere seek out new ways to reduce operating costs and improve their resource efficiency, sustainable technology solutions can provide an ideal answer for museums looking to lessen their impact on the environment, while increasing their bottom line performance. With careful consideration of both potential financial savings and environmental benefits, sustainability technology can be used to increase a museum’s positive impact on its community, locally and globally.
→ Pro Tip: Looking to improve the sustainability of your membership program? Check out our ROI Calculator to find out how digital membership can help your organization save time & money while reducing its carbon footprint!
As the world continues to evolve and innovate, museums are following suit by accelerating their investment in and adoption of the most cutting edge technological trends. From virtual tours and digital memberships, to augmented reality experiences and mobile communication, cultural organizations of all kinds are responding quickly in order to give their constituents a unique digitally-connected experience. By investing in solutions that encourage exploration of their offerings from home and onsite, museums and cultural institutions can remain ahead of rising member, visitor, and donor demands, making sure they’re ready for whatever the future brings, in 2023 – and beyond.
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Looking to learn more about how technology solutions can help you drive visitor and member engagement? Schedule a demo with Cuseum.