AI Used to Decode Ancient Roman Scroll

AI Used to Decode Ancient Roman Scroll
Image copyright: Antonio Masiello/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Spin

Narrative A

Following centuries of failed efforts to physically unravel these texts, followed by decades of technological advancements that could only partially unseal artifacts, new AI technology has revolutionized the field of archaeology. As these algorithms continue to unlock previously unopenable documents, researchers will be able to study philosophers and their yet-unknown influence on phenomena ranging from religion to the Classics.

Narrative B

While AI has been used to uncover groundbreaking historical discoveries, it can also be used to falsify the past, from newspapers to letters to government records. Long before the invention of AI, regimes like the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany rewrote the past to shape the future — now imagine what could be done with AI. Companies at the forefront of this technology need to work fast to mark all historical records and make them AI-proof before they can be altered.

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