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Writer's pictureJoël PARE

AI in Hitler’s service: historical transmission or manipulation of history?


Hitler during a speech

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to disseminate Adolf Hitler’s speeches raises major ethical, legal, and social concerns. AI, particularly through text generation, speech synthesis, and video manipulation technologies (such as deepfakes), can recreate or simply create historical speeches. It presents significant risks in terms of disinformation, glorification of extremist ideologies, and manipulation of historical memory. Here is a detailed analysis of this issue:


1. Tools for counterfeit historical transmission

AI broadcasting of Hitler's speeches can be done through several types of technologies:


Text generation:

AI can recreate speeches or generate new content by imitating Hitler's style. Language models, such as GPT, can generate speeches close to those of the time.


Speech synthesis:

Speech synthesis technologies make it possible to recreate voices from existing audio data. With a sample of Hitler's voice, it is possible to generate new speeches with impressive accuracy.


Deepfakes:

Video manipulation techniques, such as deepfakes, can recreate videos of Hitler giving speeches he never gave or alter existing speeches, blurring the line between fact and fiction.


2. Ethical risks

The dissemination of Hitler’s speeches by AI can encourage the glorification of Nazi ideology, by reviving extremist symbols and rhetoric. Some neo-Nazi or white supremacist groups could seize these tools to spread these hateful ideologies again. On the other hand, by multiplying the reproductions of these speeches, AI can trivialize the remarks, thus diminishing the gravity of these historical events and weakening the duty of remembrance.


Finally, the recreation or modification of Hitler's speeches via AI can be used for revisionist or disinformation purposes. Some could use these technologies to alter historical facts, invent speeches or statements that never existed, and thus change the perception of the past.


3. Social risks

By reproducing the speeches of Hitler or other hate figures, these technologies can encourage the spread of extremist content. Social networks, in particular, can be vectors of rapid diffusion where algorithms favor the engagement and virality of content, even dangerous content. Young people, less connected to the direct history of the Second World War and the Holocaust, can find themselves exposed to Hitler's speeches without appropriate context, thus facilitating radicalization and the spread of false information. Moreover, in contexts of political or social tensions, these technologies can be used to spread hateful and exacerbated speeches for manipulative purposes. This could destabilize vulnerable groups or be used for disinformation campaigns.


4. Legal risks

In several countries, including France and Germany, the apology of Nazism and the dissemination of racist or anti-Semitic remarks are strictly prohibited by law. The recreation of Hitler’s speeches using AI could be considered a violation of these laws, particularly in terms of hate speech. Broadcasters could face significant legal sanctions.

In another way, although Hitler's speeches are in the public domain, their use raises legal questions about historical heritage.


Their dissemination, especially in a manipulative context, could be interpreted as a dangerous reappropriation of the past, likely to be regulated by legislation relating to the protection of historical memory.


In response, lawmakers are trying to keep pace with AI developments. The spread of dangerous speech via these technologies could lead regulators to intervene more strictly, imposing limits on the creation and distribution of AI-powered content, including deepfakes and voice synthesis.


5. Impact on historical memory

The recreation of Hitler’s speeches via AI has the potential to change the way future generations perceive historical events. By flooding the public space with revisited, fake, or amplified content, historical memory can be distorted, making it harder the transmission of an accurate account of events. Yet Holocaust survivors, their descendants, and historians are fighting to ensure that the memory of Nazi atrocities is preserved. When recreating these speeches, even in an educational setting, it is crucial to keep in mind that the duty of remembrance cannot be separated from the emotional and psychological impact that these statements can have on individuals and communities.


Using AI to recreate Hitler’s speeches in an educational setting must be done with extreme caution. Teachers and academic institutions will need to consider how to use these technologies without harming historical integrity or students’ sensibilities.


6. Possible uses and ethical regulation

If the use of AI to recreate Hitler's speeches is to be considered in an educational setting, it is crucial that this be strictly supervised . This could be used to study propaganda and understand how such speeches were able to influence masses, but with extreme vigilance regarding the psychological impact on students or researchers.


How to act? Social networks and digital broadcasting platforms must be involved in regulating this type of content. Tools for detecting hate speech generated by AI must be strengthened to prevent these technologies from being misused by extremist groups. Developers and companies working on artificial intelligence must be subject to strict ethical frameworks. The idea of using AI for sensitive historical speeches such as those of Hitler must be confronted with an international ethical framework.


Conclusion

The use of AI to disseminate or recreate Hitler’s speeches poses significant risks in terms of ethics, disinformation, and historical manipulation. While these technologies can potentially offer educational tools, their use must be extremely regulated to avoid the dissemination of extremist or hateful content. Strong regulation, combined with public awareness of the dangers of such practices, is essential to preserve the integrity of historical memory and protect future generations from the manipulation of hate speech.

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