PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH PUBLIC THEATER

The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council is turning to AI to improve communication throughout the region’s arts community as well as to the public.

Now, in its 20th year, the nonprofit arts agency serving southwestern Pennsylvania has begun a strategic planning process. “We really thought deeply about who the community needs the arts council to be in the present moment and in the next five years,” says Patrick Fisher, who joined the arts council as CEO in June 2023.

Part of the 2025-2029 plan is the creation of an artificial intelligence concierge named Artzy who will provide information to the public about arts happenings. The concierge also will answer all sorts of questions through a chat function.

Built in partnership with SkillBuilder.io — the Pittsburgh-based AI company that is leveraging years of applied research at Carnegie Mellon University and insights from others — the council’s SkillyAI, Artzy, has been designed to receive and respond to requests in more than 200 languages, while helping visitors connect with resources or staff to meet their needs.

“In many ways, this exponentially increases the capacity of our staff,” Fisher says. Last year, on average, Fisher visited two local artists’ studios each week and had an email inbox flooded with frequently asked questions. Artzy can be used 24/7 and provide infinite amounts of accurate responses in real time, he says.

PATRICK FISHER | PHOTO BY MALCOLM JACKSON

The council expects to launch Artzy this spring after programming is completed. This involves manually entering 200 questions and answers into the system to train it to do generative learning. Artzy then will be able to “think” of additional questions and answers in the same tone as the brand. Fisher works at inputting these questions and answers each day.

The council also is looking at other AI initiatives, in partnership with EcoMap Technologies, a Baltimore-based tech company. For example, an Online Resource Map would use AI to pull online information about arts opportunities for artists in the area. Similarly, a new events calendar will use AI to compile information from Pittsburgh arts organizations to create a collective calendar for artists and the public to learn about upcoming events and opportunities. “By leveraging AI, we aim to create a more seamless and inclusive way to promote arts and cultural activities across our community,” Fisher wrote recently in the council’s arts blog.

Having this accomplished through AI, “frees up staff to do higher-level thinking and focus on impact-driven action,” he says.

Also, through EcoMap Technologies, the council is developing a wellness assessment tool that would evaluate the financial stability and operational capacity of arts organizations, as well as their social impact in the community. The tool would analyze how organizations are functioning and give them data to make decisions that would enhance their long-term viability.

“We have tons going on right now,” Fisher says. “The AI component of what we’re looking at doing isn’t necessarily the stand-alone thing that exists in a silo, but it’s something that serves and supports all the other things we do.”

He noted in the blog that careful oversight will be made as the AI technology is incorporated to ensure the automation doesn’t deepen “inequities, while digital innovations may leave behind those without reliable internet access. AI systems, in particular, require ongoing oversight to ensure they do not perpetuate racial and gender biases.”

The arts council has been in transition since Fisher’s arrival in 2023 to assess steps needed for future action and growth.

That same year their membership system was put on pause. “Our member benefit had been relatively flat and not necessarily delivering a lot of value to our stakeholders,” he said.

They are in the process of hiring a membership director to rethink membership options and the benefits of joining the organization.