Curators

Develop and maintain an institution's registration, cataloging, and basic record-keeping systems, using computer databases.

AI: Fully automatable - AI systems can fully automate creation, normalization, metadata enrichment, and routine maintenance of registration and catalog databases given access to the data and systems.

Provide information from the institution's holdings to other curators and to the public.

AI: Fully automatable - AI can fully provide searchable, curated, and formatted information from holdings (labels, Q&A, catalogs) when integrated with institutional databases and digitized collections.

Write and review grant proposals, journal articles, institutional reports, and publicity materials.

AI: Fully automatable - AI can draft, edit, format, and help optimize grant proposals, articles, reports, and publicity materials to publication-ready quality, subject to factual and ethical oversight by humans.

Plan and organize the acquisition, storage, and exhibition of collections and related materials, including the selection of exhibition themes and designs, and develop or install exhibit materials.

AI: Partial - AI can plan layouts, propose themes, and design exhibit materials, but physical installation, institutional approvals, and hands‑on conservation/storage implementation remain human responsibilities.

Plan and conduct special research projects in area of interest or expertise.

AI: Partial - AI can design study plans, perform literature reviews, and analyze data, but conducting fieldwork, lab tests, and authoritative interpretive synthesis typically require human researchers.

Negotiate and authorize purchase, sale, exchange, or loan of collections.

AI: Partial - AI can support negotiation by valuing items, drafting offers, and simulating bargaining, but legal authorization and final transaction decisions must be made by humans.

Study, examine, and test acquisitions to authenticate their origin, composition, history, and to assess their current value.

AI: Partial - AI can analyze images, provenance records, stylistic patterns, and prior test data to suggest authenticity and value, but physical/material testing and expert authentication are still required.

Inspect premises to assess the need for repairs and to ensure that climate and pest control issues are addressed.

AI: Partial - AI can monitor sensors, analyze imagery, and flag climate or pest risks and needed repairs, but on-site inspection, remediation, and assurance of control measures need human action.

Design, organize, or conduct tours, workshops, and instructional or educational sessions to acquaint individuals with an institution's facilities and materials.

AI: Partial - AI can design and run virtual tours, workshops, and educational content and provide scripts and materials, but in-person facilitation and adaptive interpersonal teaching are not fully automatable.

Attend meetings, conventions, and civic events to promote use of institution's services, to seek financing, and to maintain community alliances.

AI: Partial - By 2025 AI can enable virtual presence, prepare promotional materials, and support outreach but cannot fully replace in-person relationship-building and fundraising responsibilities.

Train and supervise curatorial, fiscal, technical, research, and clerical staff, as well as volunteers or interns.

AI: Partial - AI can generate training content, track performance metrics, and support supervision workflows, but cannot fully manage complex interpersonal leadership, mentorship, and disciplinary duties.

Confer with the board of directors to formulate and interpret policies, to determine budget requirements, and to plan overall operations.

AI: Partial - AI can analyze data, model budgets, and draft policy options, but final strategic governance and accountability decisions with boards remain human responsibilities.

Arrange insurance coverage for objects on loan or for special exhibits and recommend changes in coverage for the entire collection.

AI: Partial - AI can research policies, compare quotes, and prepare paperwork, yet arranging binding insurance coverage and negotiating terms typically require human oversight and signatures.

Schedule events and organize details, including refreshment, entertainment, decorations, and the collection of any fees.

AI: Partial - AI can automate scheduling, vendor coordination, ticketing, and many logistical details, but on-site execution, real-time problem-solving, and hospitality oversight still need humans.

Establish specifications for reproductions and oversee their manufacture or select items from commercially available replica sources.

AI: Partial - AI can produce detailed reproduction specifications and source suppliers, but final quality control, aesthetic judgment, and oversight of manufacture usually require human expertise.