Optional, review-first assistance

Different museum tasks need different kinds of AI help.

MCVM keeps conservative Photo Intake separate from deliberate Artifact Research. In both workflows, people decide what is retained and what becomes authoritative catalog data.

Two distinct workflows

Intake extracts carefully. Research investigates deliberately.

01

Photo Intake

For newly received photographs and accession work.

  • Conservative, extraction-oriented assistance
  • Prompts ask the model to base suggestions on visible evidence rather than speculate
  • Helps group photographs and propose basic catalog wording
  • Nothing becomes a record until staff review it
02

Artifact Research

For an existing artifact that deserves deeper investigation.

  • Uses multiple selected views and bounded diagnostic details
  • Separates observations, likely identification, alternatives, uncertainty, and next steps
  • Prompts instruct the model not to invent provenance, ownership, donor facts, or service history
  • Keeps Research Analysis separate from Catalog Suggestions

Museum-controlled outcomes

A useful answer still does not become museum authority by itself.

01

Review the evidence and reasoning

Research Analysis remains read-only and shows observations, identification, alternatives, context, limitations, and recommended next steps.

02

Choose whether to retain the research

Save to Research deliberately adds the attributed analysis to private Research History. A successful request is not saved there automatically.

03

Choose catalog changes separately

Catalog Suggestions begin as individually selectable, editable proposals. They may be applied whether or not the Research Analysis is saved.

04

Publish only through ordinary approval

Private Research is not Public Collection content. Public wording and media still follow the museum's separate approval workflow.

Explore durable Research History →

Control is a product feature.

Consent before transmission

MCVM explains what will be sent before an AI request leaves the museum's computer.

Evidence, not invention

Prompts and structured results distinguish observation, support, inference, alternatives, uncertainty, and unanswered questions.

Optional by design

Museums can leave AI unconfigured and continue using the complete local collection-management core.

Two connection choices

Managed AI or the museum's own provider account.

MCVM presents museum functions, not model-selection chores. The museum can use the planned Managed AI service with active MCVM Care+ or configure its own supported OpenAI API account through BYOK.

Managed AI
Managed AI is a planned part of active MCVM Care+, used under the applicable policy and annual fair use. Its availability is confirmed when commercial purchasing opens; until then, BYOK is how a museum uses AI features.

Bring Your Own Key (BYOK)
The museum uses its own supported provider account and pays that provider directly. Credentials remain protected by Windows and are not included in ordinary settings, backups, or support packages.

Local continuity
AI, internet access, and Care renewal never control access to the installed core application or the museum's local collection.