The British Museum. Credit: Kashif Haque / Flickr / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Several archaeologists have criticized the British Museum after it shared images containing AI-generated content on its social media accounts, prompting a swift backlash online.
The images were posted on Instagram and Facebook on Jan. 27. They appeared to show the same young woman dressed in different outfits, standing inside the museum and gazing thoughtfully at objects on display.
The caption read, “Taking time to take a closer look is always worthwhile,” alongside the hashtag #YourMuseum.
Tagged accounts raise transparency concerns
At first, the posts resembled standard promotional content. But users soon noticed two tagged accounts. One belonged to an AI-generated model. The other was linked to V8 Global, an artificial intelligence marketing agency.
The tags quickly raised concerns among archaeologists and heritage professionals. Critics questioned whether viewers were clearly informed that the person shown in the images was not real. Others warned that AI-generated visuals, when shared by major cultural institutions, could blur the line between historical evidence and digital fabrication.
Posts removed after public criticism
The reaction spread rapidly across social media. By the end of the day, the British Museum removed the posts.
According to archaeologist and content creator Steph Black, the images remained online for about six hours. Black, a PhD student at Durham University, said the posts attracted what she described as a wave of “really negative” comments.
Many users called on the museum to explain why it shared AI-generated content. Others demanded an apology.
Creator says the museum avoided engagement
Black later shared screenshots of the images on her own Instagram account, where she has nearly 200,000 followers. She said that shortly afterward, the British Museum unfollowed her and several other creators who publicly criticized the posts.
Archaeologists criticized the British Museum after it shared AI-generated images on social media, raising concerns about transparency, cultural representation and trust. The posts were removed within hours, and the museum says it is now developing internal AI guidelines. pic.twitter.com/MLWA4wDCnl
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) February 5, 2026
Black further said she viewed the move as an attempt to discourage further discussion rather than address the criticism.
“They need to acknowledge what happened, explain why it happened, and who approved it,” Black said. She added that she wants the museum to take accountability and commit to avoiding the use of generative AI in its public-facing content.
Museum cites reposting policy and AI guidelines
In a statement, a spokesperson for the British Museum said the institution regularly reposts user-generated content on social media. In this case, the spokesperson said, the images had been created using artificial intelligence.
The museum said it does not post AI-generated images itself and removed the content after recognizing its potential sensitivity. The spokesperson added that, as AI use grows across the museum sector, the institution is developing internal guidelines to govern its future use.
Cultural representation adds to criticism
One of the images showed the AI-generated woman standing in front of a real object from the museum’s collection: a Mexican stone sculpture of Xiuhcoatl, the Aztec fire serpent.
Black said the image raised deeper concerns. She noted that the same AI figure appeared in other posts wearing traditional East Asian-style clothing, while in this image, she appeared dressed in Mexican-style attire.
To Black, the reuse of a single digital figure across different cultural contexts suggested a careless blending of distinct traditions. She warned that such representations risk flattening cultural differences and reinforcing stereotypes, particularly when presented by institutions trusted to preserve and interpret history.
Wider debate over AI and museum responsibility
The incident has renewed broader debate over how museums should use artificial intelligence, and where they should draw the line when presenting history and archaeology to the public.
