Over the past few years, a new generation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has emerged. These are being used in multiple ways across the UK’s museum and heritage sector, from research and cataloguing to communications, digitisation and audience engagement.
This snapshot survey for Museums Journal aims to build a picture of how museum and heritage professionals in the UK are currently using AI, what benefits or drawbacks they have experienced, their attitudes to the technology, and how they expect it to affect the sector in the future.
The results will be presented at the Museums Association’s (MA) forthcoming event, Intelligent Futures: Understanding the Impact of AI (online, 9 December), and published in the January/February 2027 issue of Museums Journal.
Our findings will also inform the work of the MA’s newly established AI and Ethics Expert Working Group.
This survey is aimed at individuals currently working in or with the museum and heritage sector, including third-level students, apprentices and volunteers. It should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
The deadline for responses is Tuesday 20 October 2026.
