Accessibility, Artificial Intelligence, museums
Staff Researcher
Envisioning the Future of Museum Accessibility ...

With AI’s ability to automatically produce content and process complicated datasets with high accuracy, museums worldwide are exploring ways in which this innovative technology can help them better achieve their missions and advance accessibility efforts. Through case studies, learn about three applications of this technology: content digitalization, language accessibility, and visual description.

Envisioning the Future of Museum Accessibility Through Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence, Public Policy, News & Announcements
Ian Hawthorne
October News: New Policies and Possibilities ...

October was filled with new debates on AI policies, a halt to one of the most significant AI safety bills in the United States, and a host of new AI developments in video, music, and even podcasts.

October News: New Policies and Possibilities for AI
Data, Fundraising, Marketing
Ian Hawthorne
Data Cultures Part I: The Many Markets of Arts ...

Arts and cultural nonprofits often operate in multiple markets for earned and contributed revenue. With increasing attention on data-driven decision making, effective market orientation often depends on effective data use. This fundamental collection, transmission, use, and interpretation of data within an organization collectively contributes to what can be considered an organization’s data culture.

Data Cultures Part I: The Many Markets of Arts Organizations
Advocacy, Community Building, Public Policy
Ian Hawthorne
Democracy on Display: The Dynamic Role of Art ...

Museums have increasingly begun to volunteer their spaces as polling places, acting as a democratic vehicle for their communities and adding to the greater fabric of America’s election infrastructure. In doing so, they can support local democratic processes and prove to their communities that they are not unbreachable temples for the elite, but open platforms for the people.

Democracy on Display: The Dynamic Role of Art Museums in Elections
Artificial Intelligence, entertainment, Film
Staff Researcher
Part I: A New Era of AI in the Entertainment ...

As exemplified by the Hollywood strikes of 2023, we find ourselves in a new era of Artificial  Intelligence in film and television. While studios are looking to cut costs, performers seek job security, and consumers seek quality content. Through research conducted in collaboration with facial motion capture technology provider Faceware Technologies Inc., Master of Entertainment Industry Management students at Carnegie Mellon sought to gain insight on how AI-generated content will transform existing industries, including how this technology could affect employment in the entertainment industry, content development,  budgets, contracts, legislation, and privacy rights.

Part I: A New Era of AI in the Entertainment Industry

Gamification

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Consumer Habits and Wants in AR, VR and the Metaverse

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Consumer Habits and Wants in AR, VR and the Metaverse

Researchers conducted surveys and industry expert interviews to understand current and future consumer demand for AR, VR and Metaverse entertainment options. The survey indicated that consumers were most interested in using AR and VR to enhance experiences in concerts, educational content, and gaming. Respondents also indicated that they were interested in joining the metaverse to participate in social experiences and to attend live music events. The research unveiled generational differences, emerging opportunities, and trends to follow to best meet consumer demands.

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Leveling Up Together: Inclusive Marketing Strategies for a Diverse Gaming Community

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Leveling Up Together: Inclusive Marketing Strategies for a Diverse Gaming Community

Research by a Master of Entertainment Industry Management team examined the current gaming landscape, allowing their video game marketing client, Cheat Code (a division of Omelet) to  develop effective strategies that resonate with the diverse audience of midcore and hardcore games. They found that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives incorporated by a gaming company can increase players' willingness to participate in the communities.

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How AI Is Used in Video Games: The Sims 4 and Red Dead Redemption 2

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How AI Is Used in Video Games: The Sims 4 and Red Dead Redemption 2

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been fundamental since the 1950s in game design and development, but a subset of AI called generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is now deployed in nearly all video games to create clever, responsive, or adaptive behaviors. This article examines the unique cases of Generative AI in 2 incredibly popular video games: The Sims 4 and Red Dead Redemption.

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Aristotle & Gaming Case Studies (Tragedy is Fun: Aristotle Revisited)

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Aristotle & Gaming Case Studies (Tragedy is Fun: Aristotle Revisited)

As noted in How Video Games Can Serve as an Engagement Experience, video games, particularly RPGs, are widely popular and engaging with exceptional character and plot structure. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt exemplify Aristotle’s model of dramatic tragedy in a modern form. These case studies prove that video games are fun, tragedy is fun, and by marrying the two, arts organizations can experiment with exciting new forms of audience engagement!

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How Video Games Can Serve as an Engagement Experience

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How Video Games Can Serve as an Engagement Experience

The expansion of technology has enabled a wide array artistic growth in innumerable forms - often taking a life or genre of its own. One artistic form that has dominated the market since technology has become common in society is video games. The materials below serve as introductory infographics for arts organizations, detailing core considerations and a streamlined video game planning process. Additionally, it lists common employees needed to conduct video game production, common engines and coding languages used and their learning difficulty levels, so that arts organizations can jumpstart their gaming creations of their already-mastered craft.

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Implementing Gamification for Museum Engagement

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Implementing Gamification for Museum Engagement

The pandemic changed the art ecosystem, including the use of gamification in museums. With gamification, the museum experience expands beyond the memory of looking at art or artifacts to the feelings of enjoyment that a game or activity evokes. This articles looks at examples of gamification in museums from around the world, including both low-tech and completely online experiences.

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Considerations for Gamifying Education

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Considerations for Gamifying Education

Educators who are interested in implementing gamification into their lessons should consider their goal and learning style of their students. This article details three important factors to consider when planning a gamified learning experience: motivation, generational differences, and design. The article also includes examples of applications that use gamification in music learning that can be applied by arts managers.

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Build Interactivity into Public Art: Technology Interventions

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Build Interactivity into Public Art: Technology Interventions

One key element that differs public art from art produced for display in museums and galleries is that public art is often site-specific. It is critical to make public art more reflective of the place and community in which it resides through interactive and participatory approaches. How can technology contribute to the systems and interventions designed to drive public engagement?

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Twitch: Fundraising Platform and Streaming Service

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Twitch: Fundraising Platform and Streaming Service

Whether you have heard of the social gaming platform called Twitch or not, it is definitely something to keep on your radar for potential uses for fundraising and audience engagement. Founded in 2011, Twitch began its business focusing on video gaming, however in 2015 it added a creative channel where “streamers” could specify their artistic content. Recently, Twitch has been highlighted as a premiere location for raising significant funds from dedicated fans who are moved by a cause. In fact, last year Twitch raised $75 million for 100 different charities. With the advent of creative content streams, it seems unusual that the nonprofit arts sector is not engaging with current and future audiences and donors on the site.

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Gamification in Arts Education

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Gamification in Arts Education

Recently, arts organizations have also sought to gamify different aspects of their institutions to engage visitors, increase fundraising, or improve marketing objectives. Although many industries—like the arts—are developing gamification concepts, many are not applying them in the most effective way. For educational programs to effectively gamify the learning experience they must understand gamification and all its parts.