Artificial Intelligence has become a force to reckon with. In just a matter of a year, new AI tools and advancements have changed the way humans use technology. From using simple design tools to bringing back people from the dead, AI can do even the unimaginable now.
Vesuvius Challenge
Using artificial intelligence, a student at the University of Nebraska has etched his name in the history books by unravelling a part of a 2,000-year-old scroll. Luke Farritor became a pioneer in deciphering a word from the ancient scrolls during the course of the Vesuvius Challenge.
Vesuvius Challenge
The Vesuvius Challenge invites participants to use contemporary technology to unravel the mysterious contents of ancient rolled-up papyrus scrolls. Originating from an ancient library in the Roman city of Herculaneum, these scrolls were preserved as carbon due to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE and are exceptionally delicate.
Vesuvius Challenge
It was on October 12, 2023, when the Vesuvius Challenge revealed at a press conference that the 21-year-old computer science student had secured the “First Letters” award, a prize of $40,000 (over Rs 33 lakh). This achievement was earned by the successful decoding and comprehension of over 10 characters within a four-square-centimetre section of a scroll.
Vesuvius Challenge
Farritor devised a machine-learning algorithm that enabled him to identify several letters on the scroll over time. The word he uncovered was “Porphyras,” translating to “purple” revealed the Vesuvius Challenge website, marking a significant breakthrough.
Farritor emerged as the first participant ever to fulfil the competition’s criterion for submitting a required number of clear letters.
