Voices From the Front: WWII Museum Unveils AI-Powered Veteran Interaction
The National WWII Museum in New Orleans has introduced an interactive exhibit called "Voices From the Front" that uses AI to allow visitors to have virtual conversations with images of WWII veterans. The exhibit features 18 veterans and supporters of the war effort, each with their own unique experiences to share. Visitors can also interact with war-era home front heroes and supporters, including a military nurse, an aircraft factory worker, and a dancer who performed at USO shows.
In a groundbreaking exhibit, the National WWII Museum in New Orleans is using artificial intelligence (AI) to bring the stories of World War II veterans to life. The interactive exhibit, called "Voices From the Front," allows visitors to engage in virtual conversations with images of veterans, creating a unique and immersive experience.
One of the veterans featured in the exhibit is Olin Pickens, who was taken prisoner by German soldiers during the war. Sitting in his wheelchair, Pickens faces a life-sized image of himself on a screen and asks it questions about his experiences. The virtual version of Pickens recalls being given "sauerkraut soup" by his captors before enduring a grueling march. The exhibit allows visitors to connect with the personal stories of these brave individuals.
The exhibit features 18 veterans and supporters of the war effort, each with their own unique experiences to share. Visitors can also interact with war-era home front heroes and supporters, including a military nurse, an aircraft factory worker, and Margaret Kerry, a dancer who performed at USO shows. The project incorporates video-recorded interviews with the veterans, who have answered thousands of questions about the war and their personal lives.
To engage with the exhibit, visitors stand in front of a console and choose who they want to converse with. A life-sized image of the chosen veteran appears on a screen, sitting comfortably in a chair. Using AI technology, the exhibit recognizes the elements of the questions asked by visitors and matches them with the most appropriate responses from the veterans' recorded interviews.
The "Voices From the Front" exhibit is reminiscent of interactive interviews with Holocaust survivors produced by the University of Southern California Shoah Foundation. These interviews have been featured in Holocaust museums across the United States. The use of AI technology allows for a more personalized and engaging experience for visitors, especially as the number of aging veterans decreases.
The National WWII Museum has a long history of involving veterans in its exhibits, but as the veterans age and pass away, the museum has turned to innovative technologies to preserve their stories. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the importance of finding new ways to share these experiences with future generations.
While the technology is not perfect, with some lag time and occasional unrelated responses, the AI mechanism can learn and improve over time as more questions are asked. The museum aims to continuously refine the exhibit to make the recorded answers more responsive and accurate.
The "Voices From the Front" interactive station was unveiled as part of the museum's new Malcolm S. Forbes Rare and Iconic Artifacts Gallery. This gallery showcases artifacts from the war, including the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and blood-stained jacket of Malcolm S. Forbes, an infantry machine gunner who fought on the front lines in Europe.
The National WWII Museum in New Orleans has introduced an interactive exhibit called "Voices From the Front" that uses AI to allow visitors to have virtual conversations with images of WWII veterans.
The exhibit features 18 veterans and supporters of the war effort, each with their own unique experiences to share.
Visitors can also interact with war-era home front heroes and supporters, including a military nurse, an aircraft factory worker, and a dancer who performed at USO shows.
Source: AP NEWS