DH-lunch: Unreal Ancestors – Reimagining History Through AI
In this Digital Humanities lunch talk (DH-lunch), Lina Harder examines how generative image systems produce convincing visions of history and why these images matter for research, teaching and public memory.
Main content
The lecture will be held in English.
From horned Vikings to the misattributed “Let them eat cake”, popular culture has long shaped historical imagination. Now, widely available AI image generation tools enable users to create convincing portraits of long-dead dictators or fabricated images of persecuted groups and circulate them within seconds.
Recent studies show that AI-generated depictions of Neanderthals repeat outdated scientific models, and memorial institutions in Germany have raised concerns about fabricated Holocaust imagery online. In 2024, Google’s Gemini image generator also faced criticism for producing depictions of Nazis and Vikings portrayed as people of colour. These cases show how assumptions about race, gender, religion and political identity shape generative systems, and how platform policies and model training influence what appears as “history”.
Drawing on current research into AI, visual culture and regulation, the talk assesses both the risks and the critical potential of generative image tools. Used with care, such systems can also serve a teaching role, prompting students to question sources and examine how visual meaning is constructed.
About the lecturer
Lina Harder is a PhD Fellow at the University of Bergen’s Center for Digital Narrative, where she studies how artificial intelligence simulates historical figures and reshapes cultural memory, education and storytelling. Combining practice-based research with a background in museum curation and communication, she builds and analyses AI-driven narrative systems to examine questions of bias, consent and ownership in the digital afterlife of the past.
The DH Lecture Series
The DH Lecture Series is a collaboration between the Digital Lab at the University of Bergen Library, the D-lab at NTNU and the Norwegian Network for Digital Humanities and Cultural Organization (DHKO). The lecture series addresses DH-related topics, and gives researchers and others involved in DH projects or research the opportunity to share their experiences, successes and challenges related to the use of digital tools and/or methods.
Do you have suggestions for topics you would like to hear more about, or are you working on something that you would like to share in a lecture? Do not hesitate to contact us organizers by e-mail.
In the spring of 2026, you can attend digital DH lectures on the following dates and times:
Thursday the 29th of January at 11.30AM-12.00PM
Thursday the 26th of February at 11.30AM-12.00PM
Thursday the 26th of March at 11.30AM-12.00PM
Thursday the 30th of April at 11.30AM-12.00PM
Thursday the 28th of May at 11.30AM-12.00PM
Follow the Digital Lab's calendar for more information about each individual lecture.
Practical information
Sign up for the lecture by using the registration form. A Zoom link will be sent out to all registered participants the day before.
