AI Unearths Ancient Philosophical Musings and Enhances Content Transparency on Social Media!

The Journey
4 min readFeb 6, 2024
Graphics Credits: WIRED

In a fascinating convergence of technology and history, artificial intelligence has unveiled ancient wisdom hidden within the charred remains of papyrus scrolls buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. The deciphered text, attributed to the Greek philosopher Philodemus, sheds new light on ancient philosophical thought, particularly on the Epicurean perspective on pleasure.

The breakthrough, which won the prestigious Vesuvius Challenge, employed a combination of 3D mapping and AI techniques to detect ink and decipher letter shapes within segments of the Herculaneum papyri.

Led by Youssef Nader, Luke Farritor, and Julian Schilliger, the winning team’s efforts promise to unlock a wealth of knowledge from the library once housed in the ancient Roman town of Herculaneum.

The rediscovered text offers insights into Philodemus’s musings on the relationship between pleasure and the availability of resources, aligning with the Epicurean school’s emphasis on pleasure as life’s primary pursuit. Notably, it even hints at a critique of Stoic philosophy for its perceived neglect of pleasure — a remarkable find that expands our understanding of ancient philosophical discourse.

However, the Vesuvius Challenge is far from over. With 800 scrolls yet to be deciphered, the quest to uncover more ancient texts continues.

The challenge for 2024 includes scaling up the 3D scanning and digital analysis techniques to make the process more cost-effective and efficient.

The potential discoveries could encompass not only Epicurean philosophy but also Stoic texts, historical accounts, and Latin literature, enriching our knowledge of antiquity.

Beyond the realm of history, AI is also reshaping the landscape of social media content. As the use of generative AI tools proliferates, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Threads are taking steps to ensure transparency around AI-generated content. Meta, a leading figure in AI development, is spearheading efforts to label photorealistic images created with AI, collaborating with industry partners to establish common standards.

Through visible markers, invisible watermarks, and embedded metadata, Meta aims to distinguish AI-generated content from human-created content, fostering transparency and accountability. Moreover, the company is exploring ways to detect AI-generated audio and video content, paving the way for comprehensive labeling and disclosure mechanisms.

Despite the strides made in content transparency, challenges remain in identifying and regulating AI-generated content effectively.

Meta acknowledges the need for ongoing innovation and collaboration to stay ahead of deceptive practices.

As the landscape evolves, Meta remains committed to refining its AI tools responsibly, guided by principles of transparency, accountability, and user protection.

In conclusion, the intersection of AI and ancient history highlights the transformative power of technology in uncovering the past and enriching our understanding of human civilization. Simultaneously, efforts to enhance content transparency on social media underscore the importance of ethical AI development in navigating the digital age.

Now, let’s delve into a coding example illustrating how to detect and label AI-generated images using Python and popular libraries like TensorFlow and OpenCV. This example focuses on detecting and labeling photorealistic images generated by AI using Meta’s AI generator.

import cv2
import numpy as np
from tensorflow.keras.models import load_model

# Load trained model for detecting AI-generated images
model = load_model('ai_detection_model.h5')

def detect_ai_generated(image_path):
# Load image using OpenCV
image = cv2.imread(image_path)
# Resize image to fit model input size
resized_image = cv2.resize(image, (224, 224))
# Normalize pixel values
normalized_image = resized_image / 255.0
# Expand dimensions to match model input shape
input_image = np.expand_dims(normalized_image, axis=0)
# Predict using the loaded model
prediction = model.predict(input_image)
# If prediction score is above threshold, consider image AI-generated
threshold = 0.5
is_ai_generated = prediction[0][0] > threshold
return is_ai_generated

def label_image(image_path):
is_ai_generated = detect_ai_generated(image_path)
if is_ai_generated:
print("Image is AI-generated. Applying label...")
# Apply label to image using OpenCV
image = cv2.imread(image_path)
label = "Imagined with AI"
font = cv2.FONT_HERSHEY_SIMPLEX
bottom_left_corner = (10, image.shape[0] - 10)
font_scale = 0.5
font_color = (255, 255, 255)
line_type = 1
cv2.putText(image, label, bottom_left_corner, font, font_scale, font_color, line_type)
# Save labeled image
labeled_image_path = "labeled_" + image_path
cv2.imwrite(labeled_image_path, image)
print("Label applied and image saved as", labeled_image_path)
else:
print("Image is not AI-generated.")

# Example usage
image_path = "example_image.jpg"
label_image(image_path)

In this Python script, we first load a pre-trained deep-learning model for detecting AI-generated images. We then define functions to detect whether an input image is AI-generated and to apply a label if it is.

The detect_ai_generated function takes an image path as input, preprocesses the image, and makes a prediction using the loaded model. If the prediction score exceeds a predefined threshold, the image is classified as AI-generated.

The label_image function then applies a label to the input image using OpenCV if it is determined to be AI-generated. Finally, we provide an example of how to use these functions with an input image named "example_image.jpg".

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The Journey
The Journey

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