Ai-generated painting of a fictive battle between Aztecs and Romans .

What About the Aztec-Roman War?

Prologue: In this post What about the Aztec-Roman War and in a companion post, we will look at the world of AI-generated history.

Did you know Roman legions once clashed with Aztec warriors on the shores of Cuba? Of course not, because it never happened!

Yet, if you spend enough time browsing the internet for historical content, you might stumble upon AI-generated images or videos depicting such fantastical events. The rise of artificial intelligence has brought with it a troubling trend: the proliferation of fabricated historical narratives. This is a problem that has historians and content creators deeply concerned.

One prominent voice sounding the alarm is the YouTuber Metatron, whose video “AI is Ruining History” serves as a crucial commentary on this issue. In this blog post, we’ll use the Metatron’s arguments and a fictional “Aztec-Roman War” (1001-1011 AD) as a case study to demonstrate the dangers of AI-generated historical misinformation.

Metatron’s Warning: AI’s Assault on Historical Truth

Metatron’s video paints a stark picture of the current state of online historical content. He highlights the sheer volume of AI-generated material flooding platforms like YouTube. As he observes:

If you write Medieval Knights on your search engine on YouTube and then you start scrolling down you will be inundated with AI channels.

This content, he argues, is often of incredibly low quality, riddled with inaccuracies and misinterpretations. He vividly puts it:

…it’s like these days you can’t look for something that has to do with ancient Rome, Carthaginians, ancient Greece, Viking things, medieval knights — all of the things we love without having to first sift through a monumental amount of complete, utter AI trash.

But the problem goes beyond mere aesthetic concerns. Metatron emphasizes the potential for widespread misinformation:

The information presented that’s also AI which means it’s going to be full of wrong interpretations, wrong dates, wrong information. It is indeed a disinformation campaign.

This is particularly concerning because, as he points out, legitimate history content creators who invest time and effort in research are being drowned out. He explains:

It’s really difficult for me to go for more than 8 to 10 fully researched, deep researched and well-edited and put-together videos because we have to double check the information. We care about not spreading misconceptions.

Case Study: The Fictional Aztec-Roman War – A Product of AI’s Imagination

To illustrate the absurdity and danger of AI-generated “history,” let’s consider a fabricated conflict: The Aztec-Roman War, a war that according to the dates of its battles never happened (1001-1011 AD). Imagine, for a moment, that this war pitted the mighty Roman Empire against the formidable Aztec Empire. Picture fierce battles, like the imaginary “Battle of Cuba” in 1010 AD, culminating in a “Peace Treaty of Madeira” in 1011 AD.

Now, let’s examine some AI-generated images that could accompany such a fabricated historical account.

Generated “Historical Facts”

AI-rendering of The Battle of Cuba 1010 in the style of a classical 18th-century oil painting. Note that the Aztec soldier charging the Roman legions has three legs.
The Aztecs were far fewer, but their bravery was greater than that of the Romans.

At first glance, this image might appear impressive. But a closer look reveals the telltale signs of AI’s flawed hand. In the “Battle of Cuba,” for instance, we see a three-legged Aztec warrior charging into the fray, a glaring anatomical impossibility. As Metatron might say:

Look at the faces, look at what the heck happened to the faces here, holy moly.

AI-rendered oil painting of the ficticious peace treaty of Madeira 1011. The peace treaty took place in an Medieval European tavern.
Both delegations are prepared to sign the peace treaty.

The “Peace-Treaty of Madeira” presents its own set of oddities. The Aztec and Roman figures seem to blur together, their distinct cultural attire and features merging in a confusing jumble. While the choice of Madeira as a neutral location for a peace treaty between Romans and Aztecs might seem plausible on the surface, the AI’s depiction of a generic, anachronistic inn reveals its current inability to fully grasp the nuances of historical context.

Eagle-eyed readers might notice a curious pattern in the dates of this fabricated conflict: 1001, 1010, 1011. This sequence might seem more at home in the digital world of ones and zeros than in the annals of history. This is not a coincidence. These dates can be read as a digital code, a subtle hint at the artificial nature of this entire narrative.

This fictional war serves as a prime example of the issues raised by Metatron. These AI-generated scenarios are easy to create and can be visually engaging, but they are utterly false and misleading. They are, as he might describe it, “fried air” or a “nothing burger” – visually interesting, perhaps, but ultimately devoid of substance.

Simulated History vs. AI Lies: The Important Distinction

Now, some might argue, “But what about games like Sid Meier’s Civilization? Don’t they let you create all sorts of crazy historical scenarios?” And you’d be right. In the world of Civilization, asking “What about the Aztec-Roman War?” is a perfectly valid question. You can engineer that very conflict, pit legionaries against jaguar warriors, and see what happens. These games provide a sandbox for exploring “what if” scenarios, and they can be incredibly fun and even educational in their own way.

However – and this is crucial – games like Civilization are clearly labeled as simulations. They are entertainment. Players understand the rules of the game and accept that they are operating within a constructed reality. The parameters are clear.

This is fundamentally different from the problem the Metatron highlights. When AI generates a video or image about a fabricated Aztec-Roman War and presents it as if it were a genuine historical event, that’s not a game. It’s misinformation, potentially even part of a deliberate disinformation campaign. Unlike Civilization, there’s no clear disclaimer, no understanding that this is a simulated or fictional scenario. The question “What about the Aztec-Roman War?” outside the context of a clearly defined simulation is based on a falsehood, and it can be used to mislead, confuse, and deceive.

Why Does This Matter? The Real-World Consequences of AI “History”

The proliferation of AI-generated historical misinformation has serious consequences. It erodes public trust in legitimate historical sources, making it harder to distinguish fact from fiction. This is particularly harmful in an educational context, where students might encounter and believe this false information, leading to a distorted understanding of the past.

Moreover, as Metatron laments, the ease with which AI can churn out this content undermines the hard work of real historians and content creators. He states:

It’s rewarding the least possible amount of work that someone can put into the production of content, and the way it’s put on this and it’s just flooding these social media platforms with horrible AI slop.

In addition to undermining legitimate historical work, the spread of AI “history” contributes to a climate of “alternative facts,” where fabricated narratives can gain traction and influence public opinion. It’s a slippery slope that can have far-reaching implications for our understanding of the world.

Fighting Back Against the AI Tide: Supporting Real History

So, what can we do to combat this tide of AI-generated misinformation? First and foremost, we need to become more critical consumers of online content. Metatron warns:

I think that some people might just maybe they’re watching something else and they let it play in the background and then this thing starts playing and you don’t even look at it and you hear this voice…and so people are going to hear this in the background and I think it’s going to get to a point where depending on who it is, what if they repeat something like it, it’s just misinformation.

We must be skeptical of historical content that seems sensational or unsupported by evidence, especially if it comes from unfamiliar sources.

Second, because of this threat to legitimate history, we should actively support historians and content creators who prioritize accuracy and thorough research. Channels like Metatron, which are dedicated to producing high-quality, well-researched historical content, deserve our support.

Finally, we need to advocate for greater media literacy. Educational initiatives that teach people how to evaluate sources, identify biases, and think critically about the information they encounter are crucial in the age of AI.

Conclusion

The fictional Aztec-Roman War serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of AI-generated historical misinformation. While the technology itself is not inherently bad, its misuse poses a significant threat to our understanding of the past. By heeding Metatron’s warning, supporting legitimate historical research, and cultivating our critical thinking skills, we can fight back against the rising tide of AI “history” and preserve the integrity of our shared human story.

It’s important to remember that AI is a tool, and its output is influenced by the prompts it receives and the data it was trained on. The historical inaccuracies we’ve seen in the images, like the anachronistic inn, arise not from the AI independently deciding to falsify history, but from the limitations of the prompt and the AI’s current ability to fully grasp the nuances of historical context.

This highlights that it’s not just AI on its own that creates these historical anomalies, but also humans (or AI agents created by humans) who may intentionally or unintentionally introduce such inaccuracies through their prompts. We must remember that in this increasingly digital world, discerning truth from falsehood requires vigilance and a commitment to seeking out reliable information. Ultimately, it is our responsibility to ensure that AI is used responsibly and ethically, especially when it comes to shaping our understanding of the past. Let us not allow the ones and zeros of AI to rewrite the complex and fascinating tapestry of our past.

Please visit Metatron’s YouTube channel!


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