The Orkney Museum in Kirkwall, Scotland has opened a new exhibition featuring the UK’s first AI-powered Viking character, Ragna.
The permanent exhibition explores Orkney’s Viking history and showcases unique artefacts, interactive displays and cutting-edge technology.
“This exhibition not only brings history to life but also reconnects our community with its Viking past,” said Nick Hewitt, team leader of culture at Orkney Islands Council.
“We’ve worked closely with local craftspeople, historians, and experts to create something truly special – something that belongs to the people of Orkney.”
A key feature of the exhibition is Ragna, a Viking woman powered by artificial intelligence (AI), with guests able to ask her about Viking life in Orkney.
Her background story was written by Tom Muir, exhibitions officer at the Orkney Museum, and Siobhan Cooke-Miller, archaeology curator for Orkney Islands Council.
“Our Viking and Norse past has shaped Orkney’s identity and has had a lasting impact on our islands which we can see in our landscape, place-names, language and our rich heritage,” said Cooke-Miller.
Interact with Viking woman Ragna
She said the exhibition and AI experience “offer an unparalleled and tangible window to our Viking past and the people in a way that transcends the passage of time and brings it to life”.
Councillor Gwenda Shearer, chair of the committee responsible for the council’s culture services said: “This is a once-in-a-generation overhaul of galleries showcasing one of the most intriguing aspects of our heritage, made possible only by an incredibly generous bequeath.”
Elsewhere, Dubai’s Museum of the Future has debuted the latest version of Ameca, an AI-enabled humanoid robot with lifelike facial expressions and interactive features.
Images courtesy of Orkney Museums
