When AI Enhances the Museum Experience: Innovative Souvenirs in the Digital Age

An interdisciplinary team from the BFH Departments of Business, Engineering and Computer Science, together with the Bern University of the Arts, is collaborating with the Museum of Communication to explore how AI-generated, personalized souvenirs can sustainably enrich the visitor experience. The findings reveal promising possibilities for integrating AI in the museum context.

The Challenge: Post-Visit Engagement

Museums today face the challenge of reaching their audience beyond the physical visit and creating a lasting experience. While the actual museum visit is characterized by diverse, often inspiring and educational experiences, the memory of it can quickly fade. “We asked ourselves whether we could use AI to generate an experience for visitors that extends beyond the physical location while offering them added value,” explains the project team at the Museum of Communication. Current research literature confirms: the post-visit phase offers great potential for deepened engagement and sustainable learning experiences (Wang et al., 2024).

Innovative Technology: Typologies, Visitor Behavior, and AI

The research team developed a methodological approach that combines a traditional museological concept with AI technology. The foundation is the visitor typology according to Levasseur and Veron (1983), which identifies four different behavioral patterns:

• The “Ant”: Systematic visitors who move through the exhibition methodically and thoroughly
• The “Butterfly”: Intuitive visitors who are guided by personal interests
• The “Fish”: Efficient visitors who focus on main attractions
• The “Grasshopper”: Selective visitors who deliberately choose specific exhibits

A geo-tracking system enables the precise recording and analysis of movement patterns and dwell times of museum visitors. Based on this data, AI can be used to identify and describe new typologies, which form the basis for creating a digital souvenir.

The Souvenir Concept: Digital and Analog, Interactive and Personalized

The developed souvenir system consists of three integrated components:

1. Physical Postcard: An AI-generated design element that artistically interprets the identified visitor typology
2. Digital Platform: A personalized website accessible via QR code featuring detailed analysis of visitor behavior and a corresponding summary of the individual’s exhibition visit
3. Interactive Chatbot: An AI-powered dialogue partner for in-depth questions about the exhibition

The various approaches to the interpretative summary of the visit address different visitor needs. The physical souvenir serves as an emotional anchor, while the digital components enable deeper engagement and interaction.

Human-Centered Technology Design: A Prototype Study at the Museum of Communication

To evaluate the design concept, a study was conducted with visitors to the Museum of Communication. In this study, 22 participants (age range 16-75 years) were presented with a prototype of a museum souvenir based on their behavior in the ‘Dance’ exhibition. After visitors were able to interact with ‘their’ souvenir, a semi-structured interview was conducted, discussing questions about the souvenir as well as reservations and concerns regarding the use of AI technology in the context of museum visits.

Findings: Personalization, Acceptance, and Usage Intent

The pilot study provided differentiated insights into the system’s effectiveness. The qualitative interviews were particularly revealing, uncovering four central dimensions of user perception:

1. First Impression: The appreciation of the physical artifact was particularly evident. The postcard was valued as a tangible, meaningful reminder of the museum visit. The animal typology as a personalization approach was appreciated, with acceptance depending on identification with the assigned animal. The AI-generated designs were well-received, with many participants expressing a desire to make the souvenir even more individual through their own photographs or personal notes.
2. Content and Relevance: A clear desire for deeper personalization emerged, as existing descriptions were perceived as too general. Particularly interesting was the desire for comparative elements – visitors wanted to be able to contextualize their behavior in relation to others.
3. Acceptance of AI: The acceptance of AI in the museum context was remarkably high. Movement tracking during the visit was perceived as unproblematic. While younger visitors saw AI integration as natural, older participants showed more skepticism. Transparency in data usage was consistently cited as important.
4. Usage Intent and Development Wishes: There was high willingness to share the souvenir with others, especially after joint visits. More multimedia additions such as playlists or dance tutorials were desired. Opinions on follow-up communication were divided, while practical wishes like email delivery of the digital version or integration of personal photos were frequently mentioned.

Outlook and Next Steps

A success factor was the collaboration of interdisciplinary researchers from the Departments of Business, Engineering and Information Technology and HKB, as well as very regular and close exchange with experts from the Museum of Communication. The pilot study has shown that the approach of a post-experience in the form of a souvenir is promising. However, based on the feedback, the question arises whether AI is actually needed for this, or whether such an experience could be achieved with much less energy- and resource-intensive means.

Sources

Levasseur, M., & Veron, E. (1983). Ethnographie d’une exposition (p. 29). https://shs.hal.science/halshs-01484185

Wang, A., Song, X., & Lucero, A. (2024). Linger: Extending Museum Experiences to Post-Visit Phases. Adjunct Proceedings of the 2024 Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, 1‑5. https://doi.org/10.1145/3677045.3685436