If you take a trip to the Brooklyn Museum and you have a question, all you need to do is type it in the ‘Ask’ app and you’re sure to get an answer. But the reason the app can so easily answer your queries is not due to some AI technology but thanks to one Andrew Hawkes and his five co-workers, who are often mistaken for robots. The Verge reports that Hawkes, who is a specialist in contemporary art and one of six moderators for Ask, and his five co-workers spend their days messaging visitors, answering their questions, and virtually riding along on visits.
Developed in-house at the museum, Ask has been out on iOS in beta for nearly a year now, while its Android version was launched this past week, along with the debut of its redesigned permanent collection.