SU, Worcester Polytech, High Schools Use AI to Revitalize Palace Museum’s Heritage

Soochow University’s School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the National Palace Museum (NPM), Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Wesley Girls’ High School, Dazhi High School, and Tamkang Senior High School gathered at NPM on April 27 for a cross-institutional presentation and exchange. The event showcased results from the project “Reimaging Heritage in the AI Era: Interactive Digital Narratives for the National Palace Museum.”

The project ran from March to May this year and centered on horse-themed artifacts from NPM’s collection. Students from WPI, Soochow University, and the three participating high schools combined AI technology with digital imaging, storytelling, and creative design to offer diverse interpretations of museum collections.

The WPI student team presented a story about a young horse traveling through historical artworks on a journey to find its way home. Meanwhile, SU sociology major Yun-Chen Chou designed an interactive game-based experience titled “A Millennium Journey Through Horse-Themed Artifacts.”

The participating high school teams also delivered impressive performances. The Wesley Girls' High School team featured artifact characters in historical scenes, blending situational narratives with marketing concepts. Students from Dazhi High School had characters journey through paintings to reflect on the relationship between the audience and artifacts, while those from Tamkang Senior High School connected works from different dynasties through a cross-era journey.

At the presentation, NPM Director Tsung-Huang Hsiao and Chien-Kuo Mi, dean of SU’s School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, among other officials, personally commended the students from all teams for their brilliant creativity and professional capabilities while offering constructive feedback. Hsiao also extended a special invitation to the SU and high school teams to host a public presentation at the museum during the summer vacation.

NPM will launch the “NPM AI Playground,” an immersive digital interactive exhibition that combines collection images with technology and art. The digital video produced by the WPI team is scheduled to be screened after the exhibition zone opens, and outstanding works by SU and the high school teams may also be shown.

The initiative guided students beyond the classroom and into an authentic cultural venue, allowing them to accumulate creative and research experience, while demonstrating the results of cross-institutional collaboration and international engagement.