Digital memory lab launched to combat Holocaust denial and distortion
The Landecker Digital Memory Lab will be based at the University of Sussex and is meant to serve as a central hub for research on the vital issue
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
An international research hub has been launched to urgently tackle increased Holocaust denial and distortion perpetuated by AI.
The Landecker Digital Memory Lab: Connective Holocaust Commemoration, based at the University of Sussex, UK, will act as a central hub to help combat the impact of social media, computer games and AI on Holocaust memorial.
At the project’s launch on Monday night its director Professor Victoria Grace Richardson-Walden said:”Holocaust denial, distortion, contestation and trivialization have become more visible over the past decade.”
She also gave a warning about the decision of some schools in the UK to stop teaching about the Shoah after “claiming it’s too political or too insensitive at this time.”
Richardson-Walden added:”We saw a peak during Covid, particularly on social media platforms, but since October 7, it has been amplified to such an extent that questioning the Holocaust has become normalized in mainstream public discourse.
“The Lab seeks to address these issues by providing a hub that aims to tackle them at the transnational level through interdisciplinary and cross-sector working. Holocaust memory and education are confronting an existential crisis; it has never been more urgent to do this work.”
Lord Khan, Minister for Faith abd Lord Eric Pickles, president of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and the UK Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues were applauded for their speeches at the launch event.
Pickles had previously warned of the profound challenge AI presents for Holocaust memorial at a conference co-sponsored by the UK government in Bucharest. Lord Pickles speaks of profound challenges posed to Holocaust memory by AI
Lena Altman, Co-CEO of the Alfred Landecker Foundation said: “How do we encourage a digital generation to engage with the murder of millions of Jews and apply lessons
from this past to contemporary challenges?
“The Landecker Digital Memory Lab addresses this head-on by mapping existing high-quality digital content on the
Holocaust in a unique archive, so that those engaged in historical and political education do not have to reinvent the wheel, but learn from best practice examples instead.
“Also, the Lab seeks to foster interdisciplinary and international collaboration among researchers, developers and educators, thus contributing to breaking up silos, all in
order to make the Holocaust matter today to the widest possible audience.”
The Lab will create a ‘living database-archive’ of worldwide digital projects including hundreds of hours of interviews and walkthroughs and lead a programme of co-design events held across Europe, Latin America and Australia bringing together Holocaust memory and education professionals, academics, technology and creative media industries and policymakers.
It offers online and in-person opportunities for dialogue among these stakeholders to focus on affecting real change, engage with funders and policymakers to encourage better support worldwide design a suite of training courses designed to enhance critical awareness of digital technologies for Holocaust organisations.
Three large-scale, international events will also be hosted to showcase and learn lessons from initiatives in this field.
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