Abstract

In a 2016 United Kingdom study seeking to determine which of the human senses are rated most valuable by the public, 88% of those asked determined sight was the most valued sense. AI, or artificially intelligent technology, is feeding into our sense of sight tremendously by producing extraordinarily complex prompt-based images of limitless subject matter: from sweeping cityscapes and interiors of the future to visualization aids that assist the medical industry in diagnosing illnesses. It is only a matter of a brief time before this technology finds a stronghold over future museum content by creating an immeasurably heightened and forward-thinking overall visitor experience. While its ability to paint a vision of the future is remarkable, the authors are eager to discover what it can do for the past—recreating it for a renewed visceral appreciation. Mt. Locust, a once thriving cotton plantation and inn located in Mississippi (USA), existed through the early to mid-1800s. On the west side of the property, a cemetery holds the remains of forty-three enslaved people who were forced to endure the bondage of slavery and forced labor at the site. The only marked indication of the existence of a burial site is a wooden plaque that lists known souls who lie in peace. Using historical data, a series of iterative representational portraits for the names listed on the wooden plaque at Mount Locust have been generated through AI technology. This sensitive study is to begin to raise awareness of this and potentially other sites of sensitivity, create a visceral level of empathy and appreciation of the efforts of formerly enslaved, and usher in an innovative approach to historical interpretation in museums.