Decoding culture

The desire for personalization is not limited to appearance. For many young people, the same expectation is now shaping how they learn, travel, and engage with culture.

At the National Maritime Museum of China in Tianjin, a marine biology student in his early 20s visited to study fossil patterns and artifact restoration. During the trip, he asked an AI digital guide developed by Aikesheng Digital Cultural (Beijing) Co Ltd more than 20 specialized questions and received clear, accurate answers. He said the guide made his visit more than twice as efficient, and later recommended it to his classmates.

The story was one that stayed with Chen Zhenfeng, vice-president of Aikesheng. Chen said the idea for the guide came during a museum research visit in 2023, when the team noticed that many young visitors struggled to engage deeply with the exhibits because suitable guided tours were unavailable. Some left within 20 minutes.

"That's when we realized that cultural communication in museums needs to adapt to the way people experience culture in the new era," Chen said.

The team turned that observation into a visitor journey built around curiosity.

After scanning a code, visitors can choose a digital companion and select a route based on their interests. They can stop at any point to chat with the guide or scan an object that catches their attention.

The guide can also generate captioned photos for social media, offer interactive games, and send visitors a personalized record of their museum journey.

"Youth are willing to pay for museum services, but not generic ones. They want something shareable, conversation-worthy, and novel," Chen said.