The future of culture in ten megatrends

The focus on technological megatrends continues with the rise in visitor and audience numbers, the proliferation of sensor-equipped and smart venues, algorithmic mediation by platforms, and the emergence of collaborative practices in data sharing. The evolution of these trends is based on confidence in technology’s ability to improve both cultural supply and demand, helping to make the experience more accessible and personalised.

The three social megatrends – the Silver Economy, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, and cultural venues as community spaces – offer interesting insights. In the Dicolab course ‘Futures Studies for Culture’ at the National School of Heritage and Cultural Activities, one of the most significant phenomena analysed is the growing demographic imbalance. The world’s population is expected to reach around 9.7 billion people by 2050 and 10.9 billion by 2100. At the same time, the gradual decline in fertility and mortality rates will lead to a general ageing of the population. In the wealthiest countries, falling birth rates and rising life expectancy will place increasing pressure on health and social security systems, as well as on the labour market. The report produced in 2013 by RAND Europe for ESPAS forecasts an average age of 44.7 years in the 27-country European Union by 2030, compared with a global average of 33.2 years. It follows that cultural provision must be reshaped to take account of the so-called Silver Economy, both in terms of cultural production and well-being.
From this perspective, culture is progressively taking on a therapeutic function, becoming itself a form of social and relational medicine.

The relationship between museums and cultural institutions is becoming increasingly complex when it comes to engaging with the younger generations, known as Gen Z and Gen Alpha. A gap has emerged – one that is sometimes unbridgeable – as young people often perceive cultural institutions as being out of touch with their way of life. A change of perspective is needed, accompanied by a healthy dose of self-criticism, to design a cultural offering that is truly in step with the times and capable of generating meaning and value.
The latest megatrend highlights how cultural venues are evolving into community spaces where different generations meet and coexist. In this transformation, cultural institutions are becoming living, breathing entities, inclusive and geared towards active citizenship.

According to Francesca Cruciani, a researcher at the Observatory, “the most significant megatrend is AI supporting cultural workers, because it makes processes more efficient and enhances the metadata tagging and cataloguing of digital heritage. Added to this is vibe coding, which helps businesses respond in a variety of ways to the needs of institutions and keep costs down”. Cruciani also emphasises that ‘the link between the Silver generation and younger generations is the transformation of cultural venues into spaces where community-building, exchanging ideas and collaborative creation become fundamental elements’.

The Observatory’s conference remains an important annual event that provides a showcase for the latest developments in the cultural and technological spheres. Of particular interest was the presentation of the ‘Manifesto for the Conscious Use of Artificial Intelligence’, promoted by Alessandro Bollo, director of the National Museum of the Italian Risorgimento, which addresses, from an ethical perspective and through nine points, an issue that is not merely technological. It is clear that this too will be one of the central themes of the near future.