Findings of the first UNESCO– International Council of Museums (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 along with testimonials on AI use from museums in Brazil, Egypt and Kenya. 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 results of the global survey point to a sector at an important stage of AI adoption: experimentation is advancing faster than institutional capacity and governance. UNESCO will continue to support museums in developing the skills, policies and ethical frameworks needed to make informed choices about when, where and how AI can best serve their cultural, educational and social missions.
Mr. Nayef Al-Fayez, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture
The survey findings confirm that AI is becoming an increasingly visible part of museum work worldwide, supporting activities ranging from administration, translation, and collections research to documentation, exhibition development as well as visitor engagement. However, access to AI technologies and the resources needed to implement them remains uneven. Disparities in digital infrastructure, funding, technical capacity and access to expertise mean that museums do not all have the same opportunities to explore or adopt AI, particularly across regions and contexts with persistent digital and economic inequalities.
Key findings include:
- 57% of responding museums report using AI.
- 55% have no internal AI policy, strategy or guidelines.
- AI use remains predominantly exploratory or staff-led rather than institution-wide.
- Accuracy, copyright and data protection are leading concerns of museums in the use of AI.
Training and guidance were requested in the technical and ethical use of AI as well as for data-governance and IP rights.
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.
Ms. Medea S. Eckner, Director General of ICOM
The newly published UNESCO-ICOM Report on the Use of AI in Museums, based on the resuls of the 2026 survey, will contribute to the development of operational and policy guidance for UNESCO Member States and museum professionals, in line with the UNESCO 2015 Recommendation on the Protection and Promotion of Museums and Collections, their Diversity, and their Role in Society and the UNESCO 2021 Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence as well as the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museum Professionals. Outcomes of the survey will also guide UNESCO’s capacity-building programmes.
