Uniting past and future: UK schools turn to AI for Holocaust lessons
20 June 2024 21:53
The United Kingdom has decided to preserve the country's historical heritage. Schools will launch a modern educational programme based on artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Children and young people will be able to talk to Holocaust survivors, ask them questions, and learn about their difficult experiences.
Memory, unfortunately, can be unreliable. It is primarily affected by time. The London-based charity Holocaust Instructional Belief has decided to take care of the country's historical heritage. Since the number of living Holocaust survivors is drastically declining, it has launched a modern educational programme. Children and young people will have the opportunity to interact with virtual models of survivors.
What is the "Testimony 360" programme?
The "Testimony 360" programme is a unique opportunity to converse with surviving Holocaust victims. In just under a month, school students in the United Kingdom will have the chance to participate in the initiative. Innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality will allow children to learn about the experiences of prisoners.
Initially, young people will be able to ask a few questions to virtual models of those who survived the Holocaust. They will communicate with them using headphones and a laptop. Thanks to the courtesy of the survivors, artificial intelligence will generate answers based on previously gathered information. Then, using VR glasses, children will be able to explore concentration camps or ghettos where people were held.
What are the impressions of people after the virtual conversation?
The programme was created to preserve the memories of living prisoners of the Holocaust. The charity emphasizes that the main goal of the virtual meetings is to raise awareness among young people. The programme's authors want young people to be knowledgeable about historical events and be educated on the issue of tolerance.
One of the people who had the opportunity to participate in the programme is Laura, a Year 10 student at Sacred Heart Catholic School. In a comment to the media, she stated: "You could really feel and see what the concentration camps looked like, the conditions that prevailed, what their characteristics were, and the rooms where people could stay, such as barracks. It is really realistic and very emotional."
