The Vesuvius Challenge: Using AI to Unlock Ancient Scrolls

The Vesuvius Challenge is a $1 million contest aimed at using AI to read ancient scrolls found in a villa destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. These scrolls are believed to contain lost writings from history, including possible writings on Jesus and early Christianity. Computer science professor Brent Seals has been experimenting with advanced medical imaging technology to unlock the secrets of these scrolls. Contestants in the challenge had to decipher four passages of at least 140 characters each, using techniques like identifying faint crackle patterns resembling Greek letters. The winning team, composed of Luke Farritter, Usef Nader, and Julian Schillinger, managed to decipher 15 columns of text. The next stages of the challenge involve reducing the cost of segmentation and scanning to make the process more accessible and potentially unrolling and translating all 800 scrolls.