Latest news with #HistoryMatters
Forbes
28-03-2025
- General
- Forbes
AI-Generated Content Could Displace History Creators On YouTube
The video sharing service YouTube continues to be an excellent platform for history buffs to find compelling and informative content. There is no shortage of creators – from The History Guy to Brandon Fisichella – who have carved out a niche with their channels. Others like History Matters, OverSimplified, and Simple History also stand out for their innovative story telling. Yet, there has been a wave of AI-generated channels that could displace the hardworking creators. Worse than it just taking the jobs from those who have succeeded in making a living from their informative videos is that some of the content is filled with historical errors, and even some bias. It has been long said that "history is written by the winners," but if history is written by AI, we could all end up losers! "We should be worried about low-quality AI-generated content displacing – or even replacing – the thoughtful and nuanced work of people in the field, but that is why it is the responsibility of educators to ensure that history is taught as more than simply a series of events hung on dates and names," explained Wayne Hickman, assistant professor of Educational Leadership at Augusta University's College of Education and Human Development. Hickman said he also believes that students should be taught critical media skills so that they are better able to discern the quality, accuracy, and bias of what they are viewing. "What is particularly troubling to me is how convincing low-quality content can appear, especially to the casual viewer," Hickman warned. "Without historical thinking and media literacy skills, it can be difficult to distinguish between a credible historical narrative and inaccurate sensationalism, which, in turn, poses a clear risk in how historical events are understood and internalized." There is no denying that among aficionados of all things from the past, YouTube has become a go-to platform. Yet, this wave of AI-created content could change that perception. "There has to be a basic foundation of facts, evidence, and knowledge underpinning the experience. Without that, it's not education – and it's certainly not history," suggested Laura Graham, public relations professional and faculty member at North Carolina Central University. "It's entertainment at best, and dangerous misinformation or voyeurism at worst." A question to ask is, what is the intent behind the creation. For many of those top creators, there is the love of history, but with the AI-generated content that may not be the case. "Are you trying to engage with history or just monetize it? You can quickly create these 'faceless videos' where every step is completed solely through AI tools, and without any fact-checking or analysis to make sure what is being produced is accurate," said Graham. "You can get a lot of views that way, but you're not providing value." Such content isn't likely to resonate with millennials and gen-Zers, who tend to care a lot about authenticity, and accuracy. "When a modern coffee cup was accidentally left in a scene from Game of Thrones, there were huge numbers of posts pointing out the flub," Graham noted, but warned that the same doesn't happen with some of the AI-generated content. Mistakes or other errors are common with such content. "Steven Colbert coined the term 'truthiness' that Miriam Webster now defines as a 'seemingly truthful quality that is claimed for something not because of supporting facts or evidence but because of a feeling that it is true or a desire for it to be true.' Some people are more interested in the 'feeling' these videos generate than they are in the actual lives and events they purport to show," said Graham. Graham's son Krestel, who is a third year filmmaking student at University of North Carolina School of the Arts, added that artists may be concerns with their jobs be taken, but the bigger worry is that their skills are now being devalued by the technology. "Using AI is worse than using an actual creative person, because the output looks awful, and a lot of people don't like looking at AI-generated work," Krestel Graham continued. "But, the people creating these AI videos are trying to make money, not art, and they don't realize or don't care how bad these things look. It's heartbreaking to realize that some people can't recognize the impact or importance of what artists do."
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
History matters
David McCullough is one of the most popular historians and writers of the past 50 years. Although he passed away in 2022 at the age of 89, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author made past presidents like John Adams and Missouri's own Harry Truman, as well as important figures like the Wright Brothers, come to life through his best-selling books. This fall, a collection of essays honoring McCullough will be published. The title summarizes his life and contributions: 'History Matters.' This is not only a catchy title, but it also encapsulates what McCullough called the driving force behind his decades of writing about people and events. History is important for all of us. It tells stories of the good and the bad, the inspiring and the cruel, the joyous and the frustrating. When I was a young Christian, what drew me most to the Bible was that even though not all of the Bible's parts are strict historical documents, it contains all aspects of human experience, including things that proved to be quite embarrassing. For instance, heroes like David, who became Israel's greatest king, are shown to have definite weaknesses. In his case, it was his temper and lust. In short, heroes of the faith were not painted as having no flaws. The nation God did most of his work through is also not portrayed as the perfect model. Even the earliest versions of the Church in the New Testament were honestly portrayed as having prejudices, struggles and doubts. Keeping all of those parts in the story doesn't make it worse, even if it does make aspects uncomfortable at times. Instead, it brings an honesty, transparency and realism that is refreshing. In the same way, honesty about a nation's history does not need to portray a nation as perfect. Honestly, addressing the flaws, mistakes and downright bad choices of a nation makes the good parts more inspiring and believable. So when we bring individuals or groups back to the conversations about history, as we seek to do during Black History Month (February) or Women's History Month (March), we are not damaging history. Instead, we are correcting it by honestly including those who, at times, have been left out. When we honestly address sad times in our nation like slavery, systemic racism or sexism, we are not ruining history for our children. Instead, we are giving them and ourselves an honest assessment of history the way it was — the good and the bad of it. By doing this, hopefully, we can learn from and correct the bad while celebrating and multiplying the good. History really does matter.
Associated Press
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
‘History Matters,' a posthumous essay collection by David McCullough, will be published this fall
NEW YORK (AP) — A collection of essays by the late David McCullough, including some never published before, will be released this fall. 'History Matters' is scheduled for Sept. 16, Simon & Schuster announced Tuesday. McCullough's daughter, Dorie McCullough Lawson, and longtime researcher Michael Hill co-edited the book. Fellow historian Jon Meacham contributed a foreword. 'It has been an honor to work with my father's writings in the years since his death,' Lawson said in a statement. 'My mother, Rosalee, always said that his work was built to last, and it has been reassuring to see how right she was. What comes through most clearly in this collection are the themes of his optimism, integrity, careful study, independence, creativity, hard work, and love of country.' McCullough, who died in 2022 at age 89, was a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and among the beloved and influential historians of his time. His books include biographies of President Harry Truman and President John Adams, '1776" and an acclaimed work on the Brooklyn Bridge, 'The Great Bridge.' 'Over the course of his distinguished storytelling career, David McCullough emphatically showed the public why history matters,' Simon & Schuster's announcement reads in part. 'Now, at a time of self-reflection in America following an election that has left the country divided, his essays explore core American values to which we all subscribe, regardless of which region we live in, which political party we identify with, or how our backgrounds differ — values like optimism, determination, and character. The book also shares McCullough's advice about writing along with his own early influences and inspirations.'
