A Study on: Adoption of Digital Technology (AI) for Gen Z in Museum Through “Co-Creation through Interaction Framework”

In this research, the authors investigate the implementation of digital technology in the form of AI by Generation Z (Gen Z) in museums, and discuss it with the theoretical framework of the co-creation through interaction framework (CCF). Addressing the Hang Tuah Museum in Melaka, Malaysia, as the first museum with the incorporation of AI into heritage storytelling in the country, the research investigates the digital technologies involved in value co-creation mechanisms, sustainable touristic development of heritage and guiding museum management. The research follows a qualitative approach, employing semi-structured interviews and observations of Gen Z visitors and the staff of the museum, to collect their observations. The observations emphasise that Gen Z favours interactive and immersive digital reality such as holograms, virtual tours and AI-powered chatbots, due to the tech-savvy and multi- tasking nature. The study identifies certain gaps in what has already been done like the fact that the previous literature has not paid sufficient attention to AI adoption by Gen Z in museums and the contextual gap on the Hang Tuah Museum. The analysis of the co-creation framework allows the study to highlight that the creation of customizable heritage experiences through collaborative relationships among visitors, digital technologies and museum objects is an imperative. The results offer an action plan that museums can follow to enable the efficient incorporation of digitalization, being relevant and sustainable in heritage tourism. The presented study is related to the emerging debate about digital transformation in cultural institutions, and presents a framework which can help in making cultural institutions more engaged with their visitors via technology enabled co-creation.

Generation Z; co-creation through interaction framework

1. Agostino, D, Arnaboldi, M & Lampis, A 2020, “Italian state museums during the COVID-19 crisis: from onsite closure to online openness,” Museum Management and Curatorship, 35(4):362–372, https://doi.org/10.1080/09647775.2020.1790029. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Aithor 2025, The evolution of technology in the past 5 years and its impact on society, https://aithor.com/essay-examples/the-evolution-of-technology-in-the-past-5 years-and-its- impact-on-society. Boehm, B. W. (1991). Software risk management: Principles and practices. IEEE Software, 8(1), 32–41. https://doi.org/10.1109/52.62930 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Aljohani, NM & Choy, EA 2021, “IMPACT OF HERITAGE TOURISM ON LOCAL COMMUNITY IN SABAH, MALAYSIA,” Vol. 18. No.5, 122–137, [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. https://journalarticle.ukm.my/17739/1/49490-160738-1-SM.pdf. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Avci, AB & Akyol, G 2023, “The Role Of Digital Technologies In Enhancing Heritage Tourism. Iv. Baskent International Conference On Multidisciplinary Studies. pages: 102-109,”Figshare.https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24078744.v1. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Caulfield, J 2024, How to do thematic analysis | Guide & examples, https://www.scribbr.co.uk/research-methods/thematic-analysis explained/#:~:text=Thematic%20analysis%20is%20a%20method,meaning%20that%20come%20up%20repeatedly. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Eldridge & Stephen 2025, Data analysis | Definition, Research, & Methodology, https://www.britannica.com/science/data-analysis. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Friedman, K 2007, “Behavioral Artifacts: What is an Artifact? Or Who Does it?,” Artifact, 1(1):6– 10, https://doi.org/10.1386/art.1.1.6_1. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Harun, A & Mohd Fadil, M.Z, 2023a, “GRAPHIC PHILOSOPHY: The Creative Process Undergraduate Final Year Projects,” Uitm, https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/80619/1/80619.pdf. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Harun, A & Mohd Fadil, M.Z, 2023b, “GRAPHIC PHILOSOPHY: The Creative Process Undergraduate Final Year Projects,” Uitm, https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/80619/1/80619.pdf. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Humanities, FO 2025, Sustainable Heritage Tourism: Balancing preservation and economic growth, https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/humanities blog/2025/04/01/sustainable-heritage-tourism- balancing-preservation-and-economic growth/. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 2023, Digital Progress and Trends Report 2023, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Kiran 2022, Sampling design, https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/sampling design- 251144585/251144585. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Kirova, V 2020, “Value co-creation and value co-destruction through interactive technology in tourism: the case of „La Cité du Vin‟ wine museum, Bordeaux, France,” Current Issues in https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2020.1732883. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Liu, Q & Sutunyarak, C 2024, “The impact of immersive technology in museums on visitors‟ behavioral intention,” Sustainability, 16(22):9714. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16229714. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Pal, C 2022, “A concept of management system in a Museum,” Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), https://zenodo.org/record/7861174. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Ramaswamy, V & Ozcan, K 2017, “What is co-creation? An interactional creation framework and its implications for value creation,” Journal of Business Research, 84196–205, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.11.027. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Ramaswamy, V., & Ozcan, K. (2018a). The co-creation paradigm: A manifesto for reinventing organizations. Stanford University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Saunders, M. N. K., Lewis, P., Thornhill, A., & University of Birmingham. (2019a). Research methods for business students. Pearson Education Limited. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Study Mind 2023, What does sustainable management mean?, https://studymind.co.uk/questions/what-does-sustainable-management-mean/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Ten Ros, A 2023, What is a museum in 2023?, Available through: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374777083. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Ulrich, K 1995, “The role of product architecture in the manufacturing firm,” Research Policy, 24(3):419–440, https://doi.org/10.1016/0048-7333(94)00775-3. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Influence of Korean Popular Culture on Filipino Millennials: An Assessment Across Food, Fashion, Entertainment, and Beauty Products
• Narrating the Self and Constructing History: A Biography Appreciation Theory Analysis of Gandhi, Chaplin, and Hitler
• Food and Culture in Kashmiri Writings
• When East Meets West: Cross-Cultural Challenges in a Tourist’s Guide to Love
• Cultural Mapping of Movable and Immovable Tangible Cultural Properties of Morong, Bataan: Basis for the Development of Information, Education, and Communication Materials