Museum of Communication Acquires Its First AI
The Museum of Communication is adding the Swiss language model Apertus to its collection and is opening a new exhibition area dedicated to artificial intelligence, the AI Lab.
Artificial Intelligence Is Becoming a Collector's Item
Artificial intelligence is ubiquitous at conferences, events, and in the media. According to the Museum of Communication, the digital world has undergone a fundamental transformation since ChatGPT emerged in late 2022. Large language models are said to be revolutionizing entire industries and changing the way we work and live our daily lives. The Museum of Communication has therefore decided to include artificial intelligence in its collection. According to the museum, it is the first museum in Switzerland—and possibly one of the first in the world—to collect a large language model.
A complete copy of the Apertus large language model from July 2026 will be archived. This artificial intelligence is a Swiss product and was developed by ETH Zurich, EPFL, and the Swiss National Supercomputing Center (CSCS). Unlike most well-known large language models, Apertus is being developed as an open-source model. This allows a complete copy of the model to be archived and preserved for the long term.
A Window into the World of Knowledge in 2026
In the future, the archived copy will make it possible to immerse oneself in the world of knowledge from 2026 and generate answers based on the state of knowledge at that time. This will not only document a piece of contemporary history but also allow for a comparison between the past and the present. As a result, the intellectual and knowledge foundations of 2026 will be just as comprehensible as the assumptions and weightings underlying the model. Only then will developments become comprehensible. The museum in Bern thus underscores its mission not only to document the past but also, as a living museum, to reflect the present and the future.
New AI Lab in the Main Exhibition
The Museum of Communication is also incorporating questions about AI into its exhibition. To this end, the AI Lab was opened in the «Datacenter» section of the core exhibition. Here, the museum explores the opportunities and challenges of digital communication. With the AI Lab, communication specialists now have the opportunity to focus on AI in their activities with visitors. Together with the audience, they discuss how prompting works and what role artificial intelligence already plays in everyday life today. In this way, the museum team shares knowledge and experiences related to this new cultural phenomenon that is currently transforming everyday life.
The Museum of Communication offers an experience of the world of communication that is unique in Switzerland. In 2019, it became only the third museum in Switzerland to be awarded the Council of Europe Museum Prize for its interactive exhibitions. The museum was founded in 1907 and welcomed 130,000 visitors last year. The Museum of Communication is part of Bern’s Museum Quarter, where culture, history, science, art, and innovation come together.
For more information about the Museum of Communication and its exhibitions, visit https://www.mfk.ch.
