Hallucinating history: Korea enlists youth ambassadors to fix AI errors on cultural heritage
When queried about Deoksu Palace, a prominent generative artificial intelligence (AI) system hallucinated a striking piece of architecture, rendering an image of the fountain in front of Seokjojeon hall as a traditional lotus pond similar to Buyongji, located kilometers away at Changdeok Palace. The glitch is symbolic of a growing challenge for cultural institutions in the digital age and…
A recent campaign in Korea aimed to identify and rectify errors generated by AI systems regarding the country's cultural heritage. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) models have been known to produce inaccurate depictions of historical sites, as evidenced by a recent incident involving a prominent AI system. The AI system erroneously depicted the fountain in front of Seokjojeon hall at Deoksu Palace as a traditional lotus pond, similar to the one found at Changdeok Palace, which is located several kilometers away.
This error is indicative of the challenges faced by cultural institutions in the digital age as generative AI becomes increasingly prevalent as a default reference tool worldwide.
In response to this growing issue, the Korean government, in collaboration with a civil diplomacy organization, has enlisted a new generation of tech-savvy youth to address these digital distortions. The initiative, known as the "Global AI Cultural Heritage Ambassadors," is part of a month-long campaign conducted by the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, under the Korea Heritage Service, and the Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK).
The program successfully recruited 76 young ambassadors between June 29 and July 26, who were tasked with systematically searching for and correcting inaccuracies related to cultural heritage across various online platforms.
The ambassadors' efforts are crucial in preserving the nation's historical identity and ensuring that generative AI systems accurately represent Korea's rich cultural heritage. By addressing these errors, the ambassadors aim to maintain the integrity of historical sites and prevent the spread of misinformation in the digital realm.
This collaborative effort between the Korean government, civil organizations, and young tech enthusiasts represents a proactive approach to tackling the challenges posed by generative AI in the context of cultural heritage preservation.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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