Board hears pitch for AI "storyfile" exhibit; staff to research costs and accuracy

Staff presented a proposal for a "storyfile" — an AI-driven exhibit that records oral histories and other archives and allows visitors to ask questions and receive answers generated from the museum’s own documents and transcribed interviews. The proposal emphasized that the system would draw only from the museum’s curated archives, town resolutions, meeting minutes and other local materials rather than the open web.

Karina Bridal described how the exhibit could work and suggested it could provide after-hours answers to common questions about permits and local history. She told the board the preliminary cost range for some vendors is "somewhere between a $130,000 and $180,000." Board members expressed interest in the technology’s potential for visitor engagement but urged caution around accuracy and the ethics of simulated voices. One member noted examples where AI reproduced someone’s voice without consent and cautioned the board to consider safeguards and vendor vetting.

Members agreed the idea has promise and asked staff to continue researching vendors, refine cost estimates and report back with more details about possible funding sources and content governance before any commitment.