'Dangerous distortion,' Auschwitz Museum calls out AI-generated images of Holocaust victims

The museum claims that the Facebook page 90's History has been producing AI images of Auschwitz victims, using "real content," from its website.

 Screenshot of an image published by the Facebook page 90's History (left), which the Auschwitz Museum claims has been AI-generated using information and photographs (right) from its website. (photo credit: SCREENSHOT/X/STAGEONEVC/VIA SECTION 27A OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT)
Screenshot of an image published by the Facebook page 90's History (left), which the Auschwitz Museum claims has been AI-generated using information and photographs (right) from its website.
(photo credit: SCREENSHOT/X/STAGEONEVC/VIA SECTION 27A OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT)

Images of Auschwitz victims generated by artificial intelligence "undermine the integrity of historical truth" of the Holocaust and its victims, the Auschwitz Museum said in a post on Twitter/X.

The Facebook page 90's History has been producing AI images of Auschwitz victims, using "real content," such as names, dates, and biographical facts taken from the Auschwitz Museum's posts, to create images that "mislead viewers," the statement claims.

"It's not education, it's a form of aestheticized distortion," the post said. "We strongly condemn this practice and urge anyone committed to preserving the memory of Auschwitz to verify sources and stand firmly against the spread of manipulated or misleading historical content."

"These are not real photos of the victims. They are digital inventions, often stylized or sanitized, that risk turning remembrance into fictionalized performance," the post reads.

 Screenshot of an image published by the Facebook page 90's History (left), which the Auschwitz Museum claims has been AI-generated using information and photographs (right) from its website. (credit: SCREENSHOT/X/STAGEONEVC/VIA SECTION 27A OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT)
Screenshot of an image published by the Facebook page 90's History (left), which the Auschwitz Museum claims has been AI-generated using information and photographs (right) from its website. (credit: SCREENSHOT/X/STAGEONEVC/VIA SECTION 27A OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT)

The museum also noted the danger of sharing the AI images, which, while "well-meaning," are "disinformation" and "can foster confusion between authentic history and visual fiction."

Fabricating history does not preserve memory, says the museum

In the post, the museum urged the creators of the 90s History Facebook page to cease their posts immediately. 

"If your intent is to educate and honor the memory of Auschwitz victims, do so with integrity. Fabricating faces with AI does not preserve memory. It reshapes it, distorts it, and risks turning tragedy into aestheticized fiction. The tragedy of Auschwitz does not need to be made more visual, more “emotional,” or more “shareable.” It needs to be remembered truthfully."

AI was used to generate books about life of Auschwitz survivor

Renee Salt, a 95-year-old who survived both Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, told Jewish News on Friday that she was “outraged” to discover scammers had used AI to publish books about her life.

The books were published in February under a number of fake author names, some tinged with antisemitic meaning. Journalist Kate Thompson complained to the MailOnline that one fake author chose the name “Jude” (German for Jew).

Salt published her life story A Mother’s Promise and found scammers had stolen her work using AI within days of it being released.

In a statement to Jewish News, Salt said, “They’ve stolen my life story. That is outrageous. I’m pleased and relieved that the counterfeit copies have now been taken down. I don’t understand how they can get away with this. It’s disgusting that this should happen.”