Rendering the obsolete
An artist and game developer is employing AI technology to breathe life back into historical figures, Cheng Yuezhu reports.
Transforming fantasy to reality is a perpetual theme throughout human culture. In Greek mythology, sculptor Pygmalion’s love for his own artwork was so moving that the tale recounts that a deity brought the statue to life.
In the modern world, artificial intelligence might just supersede the unearthly power to realize this dream, as a recent series of video clips that allow viewers to glimpse the appearances of historical figures — be they real or fictional — will attest.
Game developer and artist Hu Wengu, known on YouTube as DGSpitzer, has recently been posting videos on a diverse range of media platforms, in which he uses AI technology to restore historical material and put historical characters in motion.
Combining different types of AI, he transforms the still images, of terracotta warriors and portraits, for instance, into short videos showing them with clear facial features and vivid expressions.
“The selections of these characters cover different age groups, genders, body shapes and historical eras. This is my first attempt in experimenting with the application of artificial intelligence technology,” Hu says.
The video clips used as models for the original images are carefully selected, so as to embody the most vivid facial expressions as well as to fit properly into their personae.
It is not an easy task, however, as Hu says each character went through a dozen rounds of testing: “I found some videos that might match the portraits’ angles and expressions, and then experimented on those clips, but the failure rate was quite high.”
Now an artist and game developer, he started teaching himself how to employ AI to save time while creating video games about a year ago, and by posting these videos, he wants to both document his learning process and popularize Chinese history and culture.
“I try to make videos that don’t require any background in programming, so that the viewers can follow along and make their own creations,” Hu says.
The 29-year-old developed eclectic interests growing up. He started studying piano performance at 5, participated in creating Flash animations in primary school, and began programming his own computer games in middle school.
He then studied undergraduate level art management and planning at Renmin University of China, and graduated from the computer arts master’s program at the School of Visual Arts in New York.
“I believe that AI is a tool to reduce time spent on laborious processes, giving users more freedom to engage in their creativity. AI can help convert ideas into actual images, and in this way, everyone can become an artist and creator.”
Apart from bringing historical characters to life, he has also been exploring the use of AI in the restoration of early archival documentary clips, including motion interpolation and colorization.
The videos he has restored include a fashion show from 1920s Shanghai, in which young women from around China presented the fashionable attire and hairstyles of the day in fluent English and varied Chinese dialects.
Due to the restrictions of the current database, the automatic colorization technique is not entirely accurate, so for each video he refers to historical material and makes modifications accordingly.
Another clip shows Beijing and the lives of the city’s residents as they were 100 years ago. The original footage comes from the University of South Carolina’s Moving Image Research Collection.
In the original black-and-white clip, many details can be easily overlooked. But after restoration, they are rendered visible again. For instance, wary residents can be seen sneaking behind a post, covertly and curiously staring at the camera.
A consensus of the online comments is that in these restored videos, the people from a hundred years ago are no longer out of reach and easier to empathize with.
Commenting on the Beijing video, YouTube user “A. D.”, opined: “In a way, it’s eerie for me to watch, because I’m guessing none of these people in the footage, especially the
These days, people tend to be exposed to fast culture, so it might be a good way to introduce history to them from a more approachable angle.”
Hu Wengu, game developer and artist
young, would have had any sense at the time how much upheaval was on the way in their lifetimes.
“In a hundred years, a new generation will be watching our footage in 3D and feeling the same things about us.”
Many other users appear to agree with the sentiment, as the comment received more than 1,500 “up votes”.
Reading the feedback, Hu says that he is pleased that these videos can help more people get to know, and develop an interest in, Chinese history.
“These days, people tend to be exposed to fast culture, so it might be a good way to introduce history to them from a more approachable angle, and then they might be interested to learn the personal experience of these historical characters and their works,” Hu says.