Can AI make Hitler cry?

UMBC professor Aharona Rosenthal has a new paper, Can AI make Hitler cry?, exploring the use of AI in Holocaust education across four generations in Spinger’s AI and Ethics journal. The paper presents an empirical comparison of four generations of Holocaust descendants’ perceptions of AI-generated Holocaust content. 

It reveal a generational trust gap, showing that the first and second generations prioritize emotional authenticity and remain skeptical of AI, third- and fourth-generation participants show greater trust in digital platforms and AI-driven tools for Holocaust education. The fourth generation’s use of AI-powered tools, including short-form content on TikTok and Instagram Reels, represents a new mode of Holocaust engagement, but also raises ethical concerns for gamification and the trivialization of trauma. It advocates for a hybrid model that integrates AI with human storytelling and scholarly oversight to ensure responsible Holocaust education.