How the Smithsonian is using AI to connect artifacts from the American Revolution
The Smithsonian Institution is harnessing artificial intelligence to connect artifacts from the American Revolution with scholars and the public. The 250th anniversary of U.S. independence has prompted leaders to employ AI to enhance understanding of objects in their collection related to the country's founding. By applying AI models, researchers have rapidly identified connections that would typically require extensive manual searches across multiple catalogs.
One example is a silversmith who ran newspaper ads for a creamer around 1774, similar to one held at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Ultimately, the aim is to uncover new stories about individuals whose lives have been lost to history. The Smithsonian, which manages 21 museums and galleries across the nation, is embracing the potential of AI while acknowledging the importance of human oversight to ensure the technology is used responsibly.
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