Utah startup uses AI to resurrect Anne Frank for Holocaust education

A controversial AI-powered simulation of Holocaust victim Anne Frank is being used in select schools, drawing criticism for its approach to Holocaust education.

Key context: Anne Frank’s diary serves as one of the most significant first-hand accounts of the Holocaust, documenting her experience hiding from Nazi persecution before her death in a concentration camp at age 15.

• The AI simulation, developed by Utah-based SchoolAI, attempts to recreate interactive conversations with a virtual Anne Frank
• The technology appears to use OpenAI’s language models as its foundation, exhibiting similar characteristics to other AI chatbots

Critical concerns: Berlin historian Henrik Schönemann’s testing of the system revealed troubling patterns in how the AI responds to questions about the Holocaust.

• The AI consistently deflects questions about Nazi responsibility, instead offering vague platitudes about learning from history
• When asked direct questions about blame for the Holocaust, the bot responds with statements like “Instead of focusing on blame, let’s remember the importance of learning from the past”
• Historians argue this approach undermines fundamental principles of Holocaust education

Educational implications: The deployment of this technology in schools raises serious questions about the appropriateness and effectiveness of AI in teaching sensitive historical topics.

• The AI exhibits common chatbot limitations, including overly polite responses and historically inaccurate information
• Similar historical figure chatbots have demonstrated an inability to handle complex or challenging questions from students
• School administrators implementing this technology appear to have bypassed crucial discussions about its educational value and ethical implications

Expert reactions: Historical experts and education professionals have voiced strong opposition to the AI simulation.

• Schönemann described the project as “grave-digging” and “incredibly disrespectful” to Anne Frank and her family
• Critics point out that while Frank’s diary does contain messages of hope, the AI’s interpretation oversimplifies and misrepresents her complex experience
• Rolling Stone journalist Miles Klee has documented similar issues with other historical figure chatbots, noting their tendency to provide sanitized, historically inaccurate responses

Looking deeper: This implementation of AI in Holocaust education exemplifies broader concerns about the rush to deploy artificial intelligence in sensitive educational contexts without proper consideration of ethical implications or educational outcomes.

• The initiative raises questions about consent, historical accuracy, and the appropriate boundaries of AI application in education
• The sanitization of historical atrocities through AI intermediaries could potentially undermine students’ understanding of crucial historical events
• These developments highlight the need for more rigorous oversight and ethical guidelines in the application of AI technology in educational settings