This article analyzes Ireland’s emerging position as a global cultural policy case study, focusing on the Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) program and its place within the national framework Culture 2025. While Ireland’s consensus-driven political system, strong arts advocacy networks, and history of support for artist income have enabled an ambitious, research-oriented basic income pilot, the article highlights deeper tensions within cultural policymaking. Drawing on Stephen Hadley’s concept of “cultural policy realism,” it argues that Ireland’s policies—despite their novelty—remain rooted in traditional, instrumentalist views of culture as an economic engine and national branding tool. By contrasting democratization of culture with cultural democracy, the piece situates Ireland’s model between innovation and reversion, emphasizing the need for sustained experimentation, critical evaluation, and more genuinely democratic approaches to cultural support.
This study advances Part II by translating Scopely’s strategy into an execution plan across three tracks - NPC innovation, intelligent monetization, and ethical LiveOps - supported by new evidence from a 1,159-response consumer survey, nine expert interviews (developers, influencers, and experiential professionals), and secondary industry research. Part I established the market context for AI’s disruptive potential and identified three priorities: live operations evolution, commerce optimization, and advanced player analytics. The goal of this phase is to pinpoint the highest-leverage AI applications that deepen gameplay engagement, convert payment resistance through demonstrated value, and safeguard community trust. Accordingly, Part II outlines actionable playbooks (context-aware NPCs and adaptive narratives), platform tactics (purchase-aligned mobile personalization and cross-play integration), and operational models (behavior-based matchmaking and transparency protocols) designed to drive scalable, technology-led growth while preserving the integrity of shared human play.
This study provides a comprehensive analysis for Scopely to enhance its position as a leader in interactive and mobile gaming, focusing on AI integration in live operations, in-game commerce, and player analytics. The research reveals the urgent need for gaming companies to navigate accelerated AI adoption and evolving player expectations for personalized experiences. The goal is to identify the most impactful AI applications over the next three years and strategies that maximize engagement and monetization while maintaining player trust. Significant to this goal is balancing innovation with ethical considerations, including data privacy and transparency, while recognizing AI's potential to enhance storytelling and create immersive experiences. Employing a mixed-methods approach with industry interviews, a survey of over 1,000 U.S. gamers, and secondary research, Part I establishes the foundation for understanding AI's transformative impact - setting the stage for Part II's empirical findings and strategic recommendations.
A daylight robbery at the Musée du Louvre in mid-October resulted in the theft of eight priceless pieces from the French Crown Jewels housed in the Galerie d’Apollon. The incident now serves as an in-depth analysis for arts leaders globally to confront not only external threats, like highly organized professional thieves, but also the complex, internal risk of compromised staff and the urgent need to re-evaluate their security posture, technological investment, and institutional accountability.
As immersive technologies redefine the live concert experience, artists and virtual idols alike are transforming how audiences engage with music. From Hatsune Miku’s “holographic” performances powered by projection and LED technologies to VR concerts by creators like BlackGryph0n and Gorillaz, extended reality (XR) is blurring the lines between physical and digital performance. This article explores the evolution of Vocaloid software, the artistry behind digital concerts, and the growing influence of augmented and virtual reality in live music. As AR and VR become more accessible, musicians and fans alike are discovering new ways to connect—reshaping what it means to perform, attend, and experience music in the digital age.
Archives generally are expected to be places of preservation and documentation, as opposed to innovative research. However, the Library of Congress, America’s oldest archive, just recently unveiled a virtual laboratory space to promote experimental research and creative uses for their aged collections.
NTEN's annual conference is always a special treat. Vendors and attendees all focused on making the world a better place while investigating the appropriate role technology plays in that transformation. With 144 sessions plus keynotes, Birds of a Feather lunch tables, Ignite talks and pre-conference workshops, to say the conference is robust is an understatement. The following are my main take-away from the conference, but if you are curious for more, be sure to check out their social channels with hashtag #18NTC.
There are numerous causes to support in today’s political climate. While topics like gun control and the environment dominate news feeds and airtime, advocating for the arts is just as necessary, particularly in a world where importance of the arts is often overlooked. Peer-to-peer fundraising is a way for arts organizations to both build advocacy and raise money.
Cataloging is one of the most labor intensive responsibilities for collections management, requiring the expertise of many art-specialists. It typically is also the most encountered feature of a collection, especially when the actual object is restricted with respect to: preservation, accessibility, and engagement. Digitizing collections challenges traditional paradigms for audience interaction, and one private organization leading the progression is ARTMYN.
AMT Lab is researching emerging digital fundraising tools so that arts organizations can, hopefully, take a bigger part of the 14% increase in online giving. With $380 billion dollars of giving in the USA in 2017 and more people than ever giving online, the future of fundraising is changing before us. And don't be fooled -- the majority of the online donors were older than 49 years old. To understand how the arts can maximize current and emerging fundraising opportunities, a benchmark of what is happening in the field today is underway.
Museum collections, specifically archives, in arts and research institutions are frequently viewed negatively partially because their upkeep is expensive and complicated, taking over precious work-hours for an already overworked staff. The Smithsonian Institution's ongoing operation of a Digital Transcription Center demonstrates that this upkeep can be accomplished in a cost-saving and engaging way.
