On February 18, Professor Marek Tamm gave an interview for the Tallinn University TV show “Ekspert eetris.” In the interview, he discussed some activities of the DIGHT-Net project, namely how digital technology can help facilitate access to cultural and scientific heritage. The program focuses on the project of digitalisation of Juri Lotman’s archive and poses the question of whether artificial intelligence could think like the world-famous semiotician.  

This project not only tackles the digitisation of the existing documents of Lotman’s work but additionally serves the development of a local language model, otherwise known as the “Lotman-bot.” These advancements would allow users to discuss the scholar’s main ideas and positions based on the entire digitised archive, breathing new life into his work. The interview also focuses on how visual animation techniques can be used to bring Lotman’s photographs and drawings to life, offering an alternative to the scarcely preserved video footage.

The interview touches upon ethical and technical considerations that this “digital revival” brings. In addition, Professor Tamm offers a broader view of how digital mediation is reshaping our historical knowledge and relationship to the past.

The full interview is available on the Tallinn University YouTube channel (automatic English subtitles can be added under Settings), and the news article can be found on the Tallinn University website.

Michalina Sławek