What is it about?
Recent advances in generative artificial intelligence (AI) now make it possible to construct characters modeled on historical figures, creating new opportunities for interactive and reflective engagement in cultural heritage (CH) and education. This work investigates how such AI-generated characters can be developed responsibly, focusing on their accuracy, authenticity, and reliability.
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Why is it important?
AI-generated characters hold promise as tools for CH, museums, and classrooms, where they can humanize learning and connect audiences with the past in more engaging ways. Yet, without safeguards, they risk distorting historical legacies or misrepresenting cultural values. This work emphasizes the need for ethical oversight, careful source curation, and iterative validation, showing how generative AI can be used to enhance, rather than replace, traditional approaches to history and heritage. By situating AI within cultural and educational contexts, this work contributes both practical guidance and ethical reflection, helping shape responsible innovation in this emerging field.
Perspectives
It is hoped that this research contributes to the responsible use of AI in CH and education, ensuring that digital characters support historically sensitive and ethically grounded engagement with the past.
Boaventura DaCosta
Solers Research Group
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Speaking with the Past: Constructing AI-Generated Historical Characters for Cultural Heritage and Learning, Heritage, September 2025, MDPI AG,
DOI: 10.3390/heritage8090387.
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