AI will allow pupils to explore sites of Holocaust through virtual reality

Artificial intelligence will allow pupils to continue conversing with Holocaust survivors even when they are no longer alive.

The technology for schools in the UK will aim to “immortalise” real Holocaust survivors and their stories through life-like conversations with pupils.

The programme has been launched at a time when antisemitism is rising in the country and the number of Holocaust survivors is dwindling.

Speech-to-text recognition AI search technology, combined with a filming technique using a nine-camera rig, has created virtual 3D versions of Holocaust survivors which can answer 1,000 questions from pupils.

Using virtual reality headsets, students will also be able to explore key sites linked to the survivor testimonies, including their pre-war home towns and the concentration camps where they were imprisoned.