L'Osservatorio Innovazione Digitale per la Cultura della School of Management del Politecnico di Milano has released its tenth-anniversary report on digital technology adoption in Italian cultural institutions. The study reveals that while museum attendance in Italy grew 4% in 2025 compared to 2024 (down from 9% growth the previous year) and revenues rose 2%, nearly half (47%) of institutions still invest nothing in digital tools. Among the 53% that do invest, funds go mainly to cataloguing (22%) and visitor support services (18%), with only marginal use of AI: 94% of museums allow generative AI informally, but just 14% actively promote it, and 58% lack specific AI skills. The report also highlights positive examples, such as the Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano di Torino, which published a manifesto for conscious AI use.
This matters because the findings underscore a persistent digital divide in Italy's cultural sector, where even basic digitization—like complete online cataloguing, achieved by only 9% of museums—remains rare. The data points to a critical need for investment and training, especially as generative AI becomes a defining challenge for the future. The report's release coincided with the awarding of the Premio Spina per l'Innovazione to the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano for its augmented-reality Duomo Highlights Tour, showing that innovative projects do exist but are still exceptions. The Observatory's ten-year perspective makes this a key benchmark for policymakers and cultural leaders planning digital strategies.