Curators
Official O*NET title: Curators (25-4012.00)
Also called: collections curator, collections manager, curator, education curator, exhibitions curator
Do you do this at work?
Answer each card — it takes about a minute.
Do you do this at work?
Provide information from the institution's holdings to other curators and to the public
Swipe right for yes, left for not me. On a keyboard: → yes, ← not me, Z undo. +2 XP per answer.
How AI is changing curators work
5 of 12 measurable main tasks for this job show up in real AI-use data, so we rate it Amber (some AI use) — 42%.
This shows where people already use AI, not whether the job will disappear. How we measure this.
Tasks in this job and recorded AI use
- Provide information from the institution's holdings to other curators and to the public (main task) — a lot of recorded AI use
- Study, examine, and test acquisitions to authenticate their origin, composition, history, and to assess their current value (main task) — a lot of recorded AI use
- Plan and organize the acquisition, storage, and exhibition of collections and related materials (main task) — a lot of recorded AI use
- Write and review grant proposals, journal articles, institutional reports, and publicity materials (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Plan and conduct special research projects in area of interest or expertise (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Develop and maintain an institution's registration, cataloging, and basic record-keeping systems, using computer databases (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Negotiate and authorize purchase, sale, exchange, or loan of collections (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Inspect premises to assess the need for repairs and to make sure that climate and pest control issues are addressed (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Design, organize, or conduct tours, workshops, and instructional or educational sessions to acquaint individuals with an institution's facilities and materials (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Attend meetings, conventions, and civic events to promote use of institution's services, to seek financing, and to maintain community alliances (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Train and supervise curatorial, fiscal, technical, research, and clerical staff, as well as volunteers or interns (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Talk with the board of directors to formulate and interpret policies, to determine budget requirements, and to plan overall operations (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Schedule events and organize details — some recorded AI use
- Arrange insurance coverage for objects on loan or for special exhibits and recommend changes in coverage for the entire collection — no recorded AI use
- Establish specifications for reproductions and oversee their manufacture or select items from commercially available replica sources — no recorded AI use
Tasks: O*NET 31.0. AI use: Anthropic Economic Index (exact or close text match).
Your first steps (guidance)
- Week 1: Open a free AI assistant and say hello. Follow our “Getting started with AI” guide. Ask it one simple question about your work.
- Week 2: Use AI on one task you do often. Try the prompt for: “Provide information from the institution's holdings to other curators and to the public”. Try the prompt for: “Study, examine, and test acquisitions to authenticate their origin, composition, history, and to assess their current value”.
Tick your own tasks above to get a plan based on what you really do. The first 2 weeks are free; Premium (coming soon) adds weeks 3–12. New to AI? Read our beginner’s guide.
Questions about AI and curators
Will AI replace curators?
Our data can’t predict job losses, and we don’t try to. What it does show: 5 of the 12 main tasks for this job match tasks people already use AI for (Anthropic Economic Index), giving a Amber rating (some AI use). Using AI on a task is not the same as AI doing the whole job, and 9 of the 15 listed tasks show no recorded AI use yet.
Which curator tasks is AI used for most?
In the data, the most AI use among this job’s tasks is for: 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; plan and organize the acquisition, storage, and exhibition of collections and related materials.
Which curator tasks show little or no AI use?
For example: develop and maintain an institution's registration, cataloging, and basic record-keeping systems, using computer databases; negotiate and authorize purchase, sale, exchange, or loan of collections; inspect premises to assess the need for repairs and to make sure that climate and pest control issues are addressed. These are good places to keep building your own skills.
How does this job compare to others?
In Microsoft Research’s “Working with AI” study, this job’s AI applicability score is equal to or higher than 79% of the occupations they scored. That measures overlap with AI chat use, not risk of job loss.
How can a curator start learning AI?
Start small: open a free AI assistant, try it on one task you do often, and always check facts and numbers yourself. The plan on this page is guidance, not professional advice.
See how this job ranks
Curators ranks #170 of 572 jobs for the share of main tasks with AI use (#1 = most), and #54 of 63 in Education.
Related jobs
- Will AI change preschool and daycare directors?
- Will AI change school principals and administrators?
- Will AI change college and university administrators?
- Will AI change business professors?
- Will AI change computer science professors?
- Will AI change maths professors?
- Will AI change archivists?
- Will AI change historians?
- Will AI change museum technicians and conservators?
- Will AI change librarians?
- See all jobs