Looking to work with training transformers for revolutionizing learning engagement in the humanities? Read on to learn more about a novel application by Dr. Ole Molvig – assistant professor of History and founder of the Emergent Technology Lab at the Wond’ry!
About
Talk To Einstein is an experiment in algorithmically generated (or “synthetic”) media based on fine-tuning the OpenAI GPT-2 model for predicative text generation. We leveraged several archival text correspondence collections – for example the complete papers of Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, or selections of Civil War soldier correspondence from the Library of Congress. Based on these large data sets of written letters, the AI model produces novel text that takes the form of written correspondence, with style and content consistent with the data source. You can listen to a synthetic sample of Darwin’s “writing” here, or of a Civil War soldier here. Note in both examples, the generated text sounds plausible, but appears nowhere in the original correspondence.
Visit https://olemolvig.dev/talktoeinstein to learn more about the project, read AI-generated text from Einstein and civil war soldiers, and listen to an AI-generated narration in the voice of Albert Einstein.
Your contributions
Participants on this project will continue with this work in improving the generated text through training different models, and confer additional functionality to the system. Advanced students may also explore audio models for a related effort in improving AI models capable of reproducing a recognizable version of Einstein’s voice. Students who have taken workshops, courses, or training on transformers are preferred.
Undergraduate and graduate students who have taken workshops, courses, or training on transformers are preferred. Faculty and researchers with ideas for application are also welcome to collaborate!
Contact
Interested in working on this project or collaborating? Email ole.molvig@vanderbilt.edu for more information and opportunities for involvement!