AI & Automation at Nieuwe Instituut

Today, I gave a talk at the Museum AI Summit by MuseumNext, the recording of which you can view below. In my presentation, I showed how we’re using large language models at Nieuwe Instituut to automate and improve everyday information processes—like preparing bilingual newsletters or summarizing media coverage—without relying on expensive built-in AI tools from Microsoft or Notion. Instead, I argued for a modular, cloud-first setup based on open standards and API integrations, which allows us to insert AI with precision and control, while avoiding vendor lock-in.

My key message: museums can only benefit from AI if they also modernize their application landscape and take ownership of how their systems connect, opting for interoperable and cloud-native solutions.