Meet Frederick Douglass, the hologram, at this Boston museum

[An AI-based interactive hologram of abolitionist Frederick Douglass has debuted at the Museum of African American History in Boston, as reported in these stories from Axios and MassNonprofit News. The Axios story notes that the hologram is part of a larger trend in which museums are using AI holograms to draw and engage visitors. The MassNonprofit News story provides this description of the experience:

“By asking questions through voice activation or a computer keyboard, visitors are placed at the heart of the experience, engaging directly with the legacy of Frederick Douglass. This interactive exhibit creates a dynamic and personal dialogue, allowing guests to explore Douglass’s life, values, and vision in ways that spark curiosity and deepen their understanding of his enduring impact.”

See also information from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) about its 2024 exhibition of the 10-screen video installation Lessons of the Hour (2019) which “presents an immersive portrait” of Douglass; a 4:43 video interview about the installation is available on YouTube. –Matthew]

Meet Frederick Douglass, the hologram, at this Boston museum

By Steph Solis
February 1, 2025

Bostonians have a chance to see Frederick Douglass up close and ask him questions for the first time in more than a century.

  • It’s not the real-life abolitionist back from the dead, but an AI-powered hologram at the African Meeting House.

Why it matters: The Douglass exhibit, launching this weekend for Black History Month, is the latest example of museums using AI to modernize their materials and make them more accessible.

Driving the news: The Museum of African American History partnered with virtual reality company TimeLooper, which fed a closed AI system text from Douglass’ autobiographies to make the hologram responsive.

  • The hologram will be on display at the museum’s Beacon Hill site, which is open six days a week.

What they’re saying: “We will never be able to fully recreate Frederick Douglass. He’s long gone, ” says Noelle Trent, the museum’s president and CEO.

  • “This is just another way to bring his legacy forward. …This is really a great opportunity for people who are more experiential learners.”

Zoom in: Douglass was a solid candidate for this experiment because of the breadth of his writings and photographs of him, said Trent, who wrote her dissertation on the abolitionist.

  • The museum and TimeLooper plan to feed the hologram more primary sources from Douglass, but they have to consider which texts reflect how his viewpoints evolved on various issues over his lifetime.
  • The hologram only relies on primary sources, Trent said.

The big picture: Museums across the country are using AI to project holograms of Holocaust survivors and recreate the oral histories of enslaved people.

  • The upcoming Holocaust Museum Boston plans to feature a holographic display of Holocaust survivor David Schaecter.

Trent has explored AI use in other museums. She also collaborated with TimeLooper when she worked at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.

What’s next: The museum is exploring other applications for AI.

  • Trent did not elaborate on what those might be but said AI could be part of the “Black Voices of the Revolution” exhibit when it opens in June.

[From MassNonprofit News]

Museum of African American History to feature holographic image, AI to bring Frederick Douglass to life

January 28, 2025

To mark Black History Month, the Museum of African American History Boston | Nantucket (MAAH) will introduce Being Frederick Douglass, an interactive exhibit featuring a holographic image of the internationally renowned abolitionist, orator, author, activist and statesman. The installation, created in partnership with TimeLooper, blends narratives with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) to captivate audiences and help bring history to life. The exhibit, on display at the African Meeting House on MAAH’s Beacon Hill campus, opens on February 1st.

By asking questions through voice activation or a computer keyboard, visitors are placed at the heart of the experience, engaging directly with the legacy of Frederick Douglass. This interactive exhibit creates a dynamic and personal dialogue, allowing guests to explore Douglass’s life, values, and vision in ways that spark curiosity and deepen their understanding of his enduring impact. Every answer provided by the Douglass “avatar” is grounded in trusted sources, such as his books, speeches, and articles, meticulously selected by MAAH curators. These sources form a controlled and carefully curated data set, ensuring that responses are both accurate and meaningful. Advanced technologies like Machine Learning (ML) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) work seamlessly behind the scenes to create a responsive and enriching interaction tailored to each visitor’s unique questions and perspective.

“We are tremendously excited to offer a new technological experience at MAAH. This visitor-centric presentation marks our initial exploration of AI and other technologies as a tool for historical interpretation, education, and engagement,” said MAAH’s President & CEO, Dr. Noelle Trent, a Frederick Douglass scholar. “Being Frederick Douglass is a continually evolving exhibition where we will add more of Douglass’s writings and visitor input to enhance the experience over time.”

Being Frederick Douglass was created by MAAH in partnership with Timelooper, a firm that conceptualizes, designs, and develops immersive museum experiences and installations.

“Our objective is to put the visitor at the center of the educational experience,” said Andrew Feinberg, a Founding Principal at TimeLooper. “Artificial intelligence allows the visitors engage with Douglass on their terms, to ask questions that are top of mind and bring their unique lived experiences into the museum conversation.”

Tickets to Being Frederick Douglass are included with general admission. For information visit https://www.maah.org/boston-location.

About the Museum of African American History

Our mission is to connect Colonial and early African American history and culture in Boston and the larger New England area with the abolition of slavery and current explorations of race and human rights struggles. As one of the oldest African American public history museums in the United States, the Museum is dedicated to telling the stories of African Americans in Massachusetts and New England who seeded the growth of the antebellum abolitionist movement and the 19th Century fight against segregation, discrimination, and racial inequity. The Museum was founded in 1967 and is New England’s largest museum dedicated to preserving, conserving, and interpreting the contributions of African Americans. The Museum has two locations – one in Boston’s Beacon Hill and the other on Nantucket Island – and two Black Heritage Trails® that tell the story of organized black communities from the Colonial Period through the 19th century.


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