The highly anticipated release of ChatGPT-4o has once again thrust artificial intelligence (AI) into the spotlight. So how can historic sites and house museums harness the power of ChatGPT to craft thought-provoking mission statements, an essential element of effective management?

The American Alliance of Museums states that excellence requires that, “all aspects of the museum’s operations are integrated and focused on meeting its mission.” And yet, crafting mission statements is among the most difficult tasks for an organization. Writing and revising as a board or staff committee can result in circular arguments, the infinite parsing of words, or resignation to a milk-toast statement that offends no one. So how can you take a mission statement that’s weak or mild and turn it into something stronger and more meaningful?

My typical response is that a small committee of diverse leaders within the organization discuss the purpose and role of the museum in the community, and then appoint one person to draft a mission statement for approval. Although that’s much more effective than writing-by-committee, it can also result in a tremendous commitment of time and frustrations during the review as members defend their ideas. Instead, I’ve found ChatGPT to be much more efficient and less frustrating. You can revise frequently and quickly, try out variants and new ideas easily, and even better, criticize the “robot” and it won’t care.

For example, in the Reimagining Historic House Museum workshop in April 2023, I introduced the idea of ChatGPT-formulated statements, using the mission of the Gamble House, our host institution:

The mission of The Gamble House is to inspire the public’s appreciation and understanding of architecture as a fine art through the example of The Gamble House, the most complete and best-preserved work of American Arts and Crafts architects Charles and Henry Greene.

Using a simple prompt, “Create a mission statement for the Gamble House in Pasadena, California,” ChatGPT-3’s version was:

Our mission at the Gamble House is to preserve and celebrate the legacy of this iconic American Arts and Crafts masterpiece. As a cultural destination and community resource, we aim to inspire and educate visitors about the significance of the Gamble House’s architecture and design, and its enduring influence on American culture.

The first sentence is the usual celebratory mission statement but notice that the next sentence goes further to explain why it matters today (“its enduring influence on American culture”). That’s a significant improvement that can improve the mission statement’s ability to guide decisions and establish priorities—which is the core function of a mission statement.

Going further, you can use ChatGPT to create mission statements inspired by the ideas of influential thinkers. English designer and writer William Morris inspired the Arts and Crafts Movement, so he’s an ideal choice for the Gamble House. By changing the prompt to, “Create a mission statement for the Gamble House in Pasadena, California in style of William Morris,” the result is:

“Our mission at the Gamble House is to preserve the beauty and integrity of this magnificent home, which is a masterpiece of American craftsmanship and design. Through our efforts to maintain the house and its surroundings in a state of harmony and balance, we seek to embody the principles of the Arts and Crafts movement, which holds that art and beauty should be an integral part of everyday life. By promoting the values of craftsmanship, simplicity, and authenticity, we aim to create a more just and equitable society, one in which the arts and culture are accessible to all, and the beauty of the natural world is cherished and protected.”

Far too long to be a modern mission statement for a museum, it does offer some intriguing ideas, particularly in the last sentence. By mentioning “craftsmanship,” “equitable society,” and “accessible to all,” it addresses values that could be meaningful to modern visitors and supporters of the Gamble House and inspire innovative programming.

Getting Started

If you’re interested in the best explanation and practices of AI and ChatCPT, read Ethan Mollick’s Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI (2024) or listen to an interview with him on the HBR IdeaCast, “Tech at Work: What GenAI Means for Companies Right Now.” If you’re interested in practical applications with lots of examples, read AI and the Future of Education (2023) by Priten Shah. AI is being incorporated into an increasing number of applications, including Microsoft Word, Evernote, Notion, and WordPress, but if you want to explore ChatGPT, it is available free with registration at OpenAI.

If you want to use ChatGPT to craft a mission statement, be aware that it relies on the information that is available to it. If your organization has a very small presence on the Internet or in publications (unlike the Gamble House), a simple prompt will be ineffective. You’ll need to take an additional step to provide it with information, such as the museum’s goals, primary audiences, collection strengths, historical background, and what makes it unique or distinctive. If you’re unsure how to do this in ChatGPT, start with the prompt, “I need help writing a mission statement for [your museum name]. Here are the details: [insert information].” You can follow up with additional instructions, such as “”Give me three different mission statement options,” “Can you make this mission statement more engaging for a younger audience?”, or “I like the direction of this mission statement, but can you make it shorter?”

If ChatGPT has helped your organization improve or rethink its mission statement, please share your experiences in the comments.