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How exposed to AI is a Curator?

Of the 15 tasks O*NET lists for curators, 4 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 3 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
Collections CuratorCollections ManagerCuratorEducation CuratorExhibitions CuratorExhibits CuratorMuseum CuratorPhotography CuratorVertebrate Zoology Curator
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
15
tasks rated for this occupation
95%
hold a degree, from a survey of 34
11k
people do this job in the US
7 of 62
least protected in education

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Reachable with a chat window today

4
  • Negotiate and authorize purchase, sale, exchange, or loan of collections
  • Write and review grant proposals, journal articles, institutional reports, and publicity materials
  • Design, organize, or conduct tours, workshops, and instructional or educational sessions to acquaint individuals with an institution's facilities and materials
  • Schedule events and organize details, including refreshment, entertainment, decorations, and the collection of any fees

Only with software built on top

8
  • 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
  • Develop and maintain an institution's registration, cataloging, and basic record-keeping systems, using computer databases
  • Plan and conduct special research projects in area of interest or expertise
  • Provide information from the institution's holdings to other curators and to the public
  • Study, examine, and test acquisitions to authenticate their origin, composition, history, and to assess their current value
  • Confer with the board of directors to formulate and interpret policies, to determine budget requirements, and to plan overall operations
  • Arrange insurance coverage for objects on loan or for special exhibits and recommend changes in coverage for the entire collection
  • Establish specifications for reproductions and oversee their manufacture or select items from commercially available replica sources

Cannot be sped up

3
  • Inspect premises to assess the need for repairs and to ensure that climate and pest control issues are addressed
  • Attend meetings, conventions, and civic events to promote use of institution's services, to seek financing, and to maintain community alliances
  • Train and supervise curatorial, fiscal, technical, research, and clerical staff, as well as volunteers or interns
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.