Museum Visitors Engage in AI Conversations with Extinct Dodo and More
University of Cambridge's Museum of Zoology introduces AI-powered conversations with 13 specimens, including the dodo. Visitors can engage in two-way chats by scanning QR codes near exhibits, starting a month-long experiment. Nature Perspectives collaborates with the museum to provide immersive experiences, crafting responses from the animals' perspectives.
Visitors to the University of Cambridge's Museum of Zoology are in for a unique experience as they will now have the opportunity to engage in two-way conversations with various animals on display, thanks to generative artificial intelligence (AI).
The museum has selected 13 specimens for these interactive chats, including the iconic extinct flightless bird, the dodo, as well as skeletons of a narwhal and blue fin whale, a red panda, and even a preserved cockroach.
Jack Ashby, the assistant director of the museum, highlighted that the aim of this initiative is to captivate people's interest in the natural world and provide them with insights into the displays that intrigue them. By scanning a QR code near the exhibit with their smartphones, visitors can initiate conversations with each specimen. This month-long experiment is set to commence on Tuesday, offering a novel way for visitors to interact with the museum's collection.
Ashby expressed curiosity about the potential impact of these AI chats on people's perceptions of the animals. He pondered whether conversing with the specimens would alter visitors' attitudes towards them, suggesting that perhaps even the humble cockroach might become more endearing once its "voice" is heard. Describing the project as an opportunity to explore emerging technology within a museum environment, Ashby noted that the exhibits can communicate in over 20 languages, enhancing accessibility for a diverse audience.
The collaboration behind this innovative project involves Nature Perspectives, a company that utilises AI to facilitate engaging conversational experiences for institutions like the Museum of Zoology. Co-founder Gal Zanir explained that visitors will have the chance to pose questions that pique their curiosity, with the responses crafted from the simulated perspective of the animal in question. Drawing on scientific knowledge and the unique characteristics of each species, these responses aim to provide an immersive and educational encounter for visitors.
Nature Perspectives, founded by graduates of Cambridge University's Masters in Conservation Leadership programme, aims to foster a deeper connection between people and nature by giving a voice to the natural world. Zanir emphasised that this approach seeks to combat apathy towards biodiversity loss and strengthen individuals' bond with the environment. By offering visitors direct, first-person dialogues with the animals themselves, the initiative strives to revolutionise public engagement, education, and scientific research in the realm of natural history.
In ensuring the accuracy and authenticity of the AI responses, Zanir reassured that the technology has been meticulously fine-tuned using a curated selection of scientific data vetted by ecology experts. While the AI can access a broad range of knowledge, it prioritises the specific information that has been carefully curated to maintain factual integrity. Among the other specimens participating in this interactive project are brain coral, the red admiral butterfly, a huia taxidermy, a freeze-dried platypus, a giant sloth fossil skeleton, a giant deer skull with antlers, a mallard taxidermy, and an Ichthyostega model.
University of Cambridge's Museum of Zoology introduces AI-powered conversations with 13 specimens, including the dodo.
Visitors can engage in two-way chats by scanning QR codes near exhibits, starting a month-long experiment.
Nature Perspectives collaborates with the museum to provide immersive experiences, crafting responses from the animals' perspectives.
Source: BBC