The 22-Year-Old Who Unlocked the Secrets of Ancient Rome
Photo illustration of Luke Farritor with the Herculaneum papyri scrolls. (Images courtesy of Luke Farritor and Vesuvius Challenge)
A treasure trove of ancient texts has been unreadable for 2,000 years. By using an AI program he designed, Luke Farritor helped unveil its mysteries for the first time.
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While driving to his SpaceX internship in Texas in March 2023, 22-year-old Luke Farritor was listening to a podcast about a niche use of artificial intelligence: deciphering ancient scrolls. Then, he heard about a new competition—called the Vesuvius Challenge—being offered to the first person who could use AI to decode an ancient scroll from the ruins n…
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