June 2025 – American Alliance of Museums

Message from the President: Decoding AI

By Marilyn Jackson

This column introduces Museum magazine’s July/August 2025 issue, a benefit of AAM membership. Do you ever get the feeling that AI came out of nowhere? When did talking, thinking robots go from a sci-fi fantasy to daily reality, and how …
We’ve Seen This Before: Lessons to help incorporate AI into museum operations

By Carolyn Royston

With AI, museums face another moment in their digital evolution. We are already seeing some truly innovative AI applications across the sector that are enabling audiences to access collections and content in expansive new ways, enhancing …
Improving the Search: Uncovering AI bias in digital collections

By Madeline Schill & Kathy Jones

The ethical stewardship of our cherished collections has increasingly become a priority for North American museums grappling with centuries of Eurocentric and colonial-imperial history. Museums are enhancing stewardship of their physical …
Charting the Course: AI implementation at The Amon Carter Museum of American Art

By Michelle Padilla & Jane Thaler

This article originally appeared in Museum magazine’s July/August 2025 issue, a benefit of AAM membership. The Amon Carter Museum of American Art is developing guidelines to help ensure thoughtful AI implementation. From personalized …
Unlocking the Past with AI at the B&O Railroad Museum

By Anna Kresmer & Jonathan Goldman

For nearly 200 years, the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad forged an innovative path through the American landscape. As the country’s first common carrier commercial railroad and builder of the first American-made steam locomotive, …
The Future Is Already Here: AI will define the next 100 years

By Brendan Ciecko

For decades, science fiction has shaped the ambitions of visionaries, artists, entrepreneurs, and the masses. Bold and often fantastical visions of the future have long opened minds and influenced our imaginations. In the internet age, …
Future Chat: Covering Your Assets Museum Insurance in a Warming World

By American Alliance of Museums

Across the globe, the insurance market is being reshaped by the escalating claims resulting from climate change. The frequency and severity of wildfires, hurricanes, and flooding are driving up claims. In response, the industry is raising …
Museums for Midlife: A Q&A with Chip Conley

By Adam Rozan

If you’ve ever seen my library or chatted with me about what I’m reading, you’ll know that I have a soft spot for TED Talk–style books. If Adam Grant or Simon Sinek has a new book, I’ve likely already bought it, read it, or I’m waiting for …
Twenty Innovative Program Ideas for Small Museums

By American Alliance of Museums

The tips below were shared by Ann Bennett, Allison Schell, Kenny Libben, Susan Goganian, and several audience members during the 60 Ideas in 60 Minutes: Small Museums Are Thriving! session at the 2024 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo. …
EO Impact: Is There an Existential Threat to Nonprofit Status?

By Elizabeth Merritt

Charitable giving may fluctuate year to year, tourism ebbs and flows, your museum’s endowment will perform better some years than others. That’s normal and expected, and nonprofits have traditionally cobbled together a diverse set of …