National Palace Museum, Students Use AI to Reimagine Horse Artifacts

Students from five institutions have used generative AI to create new narratives and digital experiences based on the National Palace Museum's collection of horse-themed artifacts. The "Reimagining AI Era Cultural Memory: National Palace Museum Interactive Digital Narrative Project" brought together students from Soochow University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Taipei Municipal Dazhi High School, Wisdom Tree Girls' School, and Tamkang High School.

This initiative builds on a 2025 memorandum of understanding between the National Palace Museum and Soochow University. The project extended international higher education collaboration to the high school level. Students utilized generative AI for image generation, story development, character design, and digital production, resulting in 2- to 5-minute creative short films or interactive narratives.

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Artificial intelligence is changing the modes of knowledge production and cultural dissemination. Museums, in addition to preserving cultural collections, should also become platforms for connecting technological innovation and humanities education.

National Palace Museum Director General Shiao Tsung-huang emphasized that AI is transforming knowledge production and cultural dissemination. He stated that museums should serve as platforms connecting technological innovation with humanities education. He hopes this collaboration will guide younger generations to create new cultural narratives using AI tools, with promising works potentially featured in future museum digital exhibitions.

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Humanities AI is an important direction for interdisciplinary teaching that our school has been promoting in recent years. This initiative connects the National Palace Museum, Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the United States, and three high schools, bringing humanities education, technological applications, and international exchange into the cultural field.

Soochow University President Chang Chien-chiang highlighted "Humanities AI" as a key focus for interdisciplinary teaching. He noted the project's success in integrating humanities education, technological application, and international exchange within a cultural context. Dazhi High School Principal Chang Li-ping added that in this interdisciplinary era, students need both a strong foundation in the humanities and AI application skills. The project also aimed to engage students accustomed to short videos, encouraging them to appreciate culture while mastering technological tools.

Each of the five schools developed unique narratives around the theme of horses. WPI's "Reimagining Heritage in the AI Era" featured a small horse navigating through artworks from different dynasties, incorporating virtual reality and digital storytelling. Soochow University's "Millennium Horse-Fighting Competition" drew inspiration from a Song Dynasty game, transforming museum artifacts into story elements. High school students approached the theme from historical, textual, and marketing perspectives. Wisdom Tree Girls' School's "Galloping Through Ages, Racing into the Future" placed artifact characters in historical settings with integrated marketing concepts. Dazhi High School's "Crazy Monkey Seeks Horse Chronicle" extended its narrative into cultural and creative product design. Tamkang High School's "A Thousand-Year Journey of the Character 'Horse'" followed a protagonist through different eras, illustrating the evolution of the Chinese character for 'horse'.

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In the face of an interdisciplinary era, students need to possess both a foundation in the humanities and AI application capabilities. How to get students accustomed to short videos to calm down and understand culture while mastering technological tools is also an important issue in this project.