Italian museums between visitor boom and digital delays: the challenge of AI
While in Italy museums, monuments, archaeological areas (MMAA) in 2024 record an average increase in visitors of 7% and ticket sales of 6%, the share of institutions investing in technology and digital innovation remains stable. These are some of the results of the research by the Digital Innovation Observatory for Culture of the Milan Polytechnic , presented during the conference "Alea IActa est. Culture and digital, there is no turning back", of the survey conducted between February and April 2025 on a sample of 436 cultural institutions. The objectives of the analysis include the detection of investments in digital innovation, the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) tools used, the degree of digitalization of collections and accessibility, the analysis of visitor behavior, the current and near-future revenue model.
57% of MMAAs (sample of 390) plan to invest in artificial intelligence in the next three years, divided between 37% in improving the visitor experience, 24% in marketing and communication, 23% in developing cultural products and services, 14% in archive innovation. The glass can be seen as half full or half empty, so if on the one hand more than half of Italian museums, monuments and archaeological areas have a propensity for digital innovation, on the other hand there is a large slice, equal to almost half, that does not yet have a perception of how important the use of AI is. To manage change, it is not enough to simply be aware of the opportunities and risks, but you need to make an extra effort, that is, create the organizational conditions and acquire the appropriate skills. In fact, among the critical issues encountered in adopting AI, 55% find the lack of specific skills, 32% the limitations of existing infrastructures, while 29% respond that the high costs of technological implementation are a burden. 13% report that resistance to change is due to personnel or the complexity of managing privacy and data, while only 9% perceive the correct format of data as a critical issue and barrier to innovation.
AI will bring efficiency to operational activities, processes and will promote accessibility
The latest survey is surprising and not a little since the quality of data resulting from international standards that guarantee its maintenance and interoperability is essential for a technology such as artificial intelligence and not only to overcome the critical issues of bias and fake news. It is therefore appropriate to develop internal skills to interface with technology at every organizational level and introduce hybrid figures such as digital humanists into cultural institutions who know how to communicate and work with technological partners. The data on the business model of cultural institutions and in particular of MMAA is important. In 2024, ticket revenues will increase, accounting for 34% of the total (33% in 2023), public funding will slightly decrease from 40% to 38%, private funding will remain stable at 17% and other revenues at 4%, the latter also including revenues from digital services.
Distribution of total revenue by source of origin
The challenge is therefore to diversify revenues, developing alternative sources in the era of digitalization. “We asked ourselves a question that we believe to be central: in an era in which so much has been invested in the digitalization of cultural heritage, can the transfer of images really represent a significant source of revenue for museums and institutions? In our opinion, the answer is no” explains Eleonora Lorenzini , director of the Observatory. “The open access model is increasingly gaining ground internationally, with a view to greater accessibility and sharing of culture. 70% of museums, monuments and archaeological areas offer images free of charge. And among those who still sell them for a fee, 61% declare an annual revenue of less than 500.00 euros”. And so it is natural to ask whether the game is worth the candle, as management costs often do not exceed revenues. Digital services are the sore point as only 41% of the sample offers an audio guide service and for 71% it is free or included in the ticket price, while only 29% requires an increase in the ticket price; only 31% offers an app and for 92% it is free or included in the entrance ticket and the remaining 8% requires a separate payment. VR or AR experiences are offered by only 20% of the sample and for the most part they are free or included in the ticket price.
“Artificial intelligence can represent a great opportunity for transformation for the cultural sector: not only does it redefine internal processes and ways of enjoying them, but it also opens up completely new scenarios for heritage conservation and public participation, and opens up the possibility of new cultural management models that are sustainable and oriented towards generating impact,” explains Deborah Agostino , Research Director of the Observatory. What is needed is a systemic vision to seize the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence and, in particular, generative intelligence. The latter can transform the way in which cultural professionals work and engage audiences. But for it to truly become a useful tool, vision, skills and a serious discussion on the ethical, legal and economic implications are needed. Without a clear data strategy, however, AI risks remaining just a promise. According to Fabio Viola, game designer and founder of Tuomuseo: “Tools like Runway, Suno, HeyGen, ChatGPT, which embrace conservation, cataloging and valorization, emerge on the one hand with fear towards something new that could radically change cultural professions, but also a lot of enthusiasm for the opportunities offered by AI especially to small and medium-sized institutions constantly struggling with a lack of human resources and budgets. We can imagine museums that personally communicate with each visitor by proposing personalized itineraries, theaters that adapt their narratives in real time according to the emotions of the public and historical archives that come to life through interactive avatars thanks to the automatic generation of immersive narratives”. Italian culture is on the threshold of a new epochal revolution, in which AI is not only a technical tool, but a key to radical transformation in cultural processes and projects both internal and external to cultural organizations.
The value derived from the marketing of experiential tools could be different
To meet this challenge, the Ministry of Culture, through the Digital Library, proposes Ecomic, Digital Ecosystem for Culture, a distributed collaborative environment to support the digital transformation of the cultural sector. Financed with PNRR funds, the system offers technologies and services designed to support all actors in the cultural ecosystem - from service designers to managers and operators - helping them to develop effective and inclusive digital solutions. These solutions are aimed at a broad audience: citizens, professionals, scholars, educators and anyone interested. The goal is to generate not only cultural value, but also social and economic value. The ecosystem includes the DPaaS laboratory platform, Data Product as a Service, designed to create innovative software based on cultural data and provide services to generate added value, for exhibition, educational, editorial or commercial purposes, through co-design and co-creation. Among the recipients are companies, universities, local authorities, museums, which will hopefully find the ideal environment to exhibit their data products (products derived from data), in a public catalog with the possibility of activating commercial opportunities based on different business models. And so, as the title of the conference “Alea IActa est” states, the die is cast, Italian culture has crossed the digital Rubicon – or almost – and there is no turning back.
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