Opened in December 2017 as the first extension of the Main Exhibition, IRIS+, a project that allows visitors to deepen their experience at the Museum of Tomorrow, has been redesigned and updated with more suggestions for initiatives and projects with which visitors can engage.

With the new features, IRIS+ becomes even more effective in uniting technology, interactivity, and social justice. Visitors will notice that the initiatives—250 registered to date—are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the topics discussed in the experience can be better explored thanks to an application that shows where that information can be found throughout the Museum's Main Exhibition. Furthermore, visitors with hearing impairments can enjoy the full experience thanks to the accessibility implemented in this new phase. Another new feature is that the photograph taken during the experience is emailed to the visitor, who can share it on social media.

The cognitive assistant, built with IBM Watson—an Artificial Intelligence platform for business—was developed not only to respond to visitors but also to formulate questions. After encouraging reflection throughout the exhibition on the current geological epoch we live in, the Anthropocene, the intention with IRIS+ is to encourage visitors to reflect on their role in society and take action toward a more conscious, tolerant, and sustainable tomorrow.

Upon arrival at the Museum of Tomorrow—a science space that examines the past, presents current trends, and explores possible scenarios for the next 50 years—visitors receive a card from IRIS, our virtual assistant. Throughout the narrative journey, guided by questions that have always haunted humanity (Where do we come from? Who are we? Where are we? Where are we going? How do we want to go?), this card records the visitor's data, opening up the interactive experiences of the Main Exhibition.

IRIS+ is also activated by this card (from IRIS). But the difference is that, at the end of the tour, next to the WE area, IRIS gains a voice—hearing-impaired people, or those who prefer, can chat—and speaks directly to the visitor. There are six self-service kiosks, two of which are reserved for wheelchair users and children. The dialogue begins with the visitor indicating their main concern based on what they just experienced.

How IRIS+ works

The application was developed using the Watson Conversation Service (WCS) API (Application Programming Interface), hosted on the IBM Cloud. The application was trained to answer and ask questions, guiding a dialogue with visitors about the Museum of Tomorrow's two main themes: sustainability and coexistence.

Visitors are asked how they can change their concerns, and based on their responses, IRIS+ presents, for example, projects from various organizations, foundations, and institutions in Brazil, registered by the Museum of Tomorrow team, that can lead them to social engagement. As of February 2020, the interactive IRIS+ experience had been used 528,923 times. 37% of visitors said they became engaged in some social or environmental issue after participating in the experience. The five biggest concerns of Museum visitors are as follows:

Environmental Degradation - 13%

Pollution - 11%

Global Warming (Climate Change) - 7%

Violence - 7%

Deforestation - 5%

IRIS+ was considered by the American newspaper "The New York Times" as one of the most disruptive uses of artificial intelligence in museums worldwide. Its development has already been the subject of conferences throughout Brazil, as well as technology-related events held in France and the United States.

The Museum of Tomorrow is managed by the Institute of Development and Management (IDG), and has sponsors and partnerships that ensure the maintenance and execution of projects and programs throughout the year. The project is an initiative of the City of Rio de Janeiro, conceived in conjunction with the Roberto Marinho Foundation, an institution affiliated with Grupo Globo.