Tools & Platforms
IWM | 20,000 hours of oral history accessible with AI
Imperial War Museums (IWM), Capgemini, and Google Cloud today announced a significant partnership to successfully transcribe and translate over 20,000 hours of IWM’s oral history collection using AI technology.
This project will provide access to firsthand accounts of 20th-century conflicts for the public, researchers, and educators worldwide, utilising advanced generative AI to transcribe, translate, and facilitate interactive archive exploration.
IWM intends to make this new technology accessible to the public through its website later this year. This platform will enhance existing recordings and resources, enabling users to search through over two million collection items.
Improving access
Many of IWM’s 8,000 oral histories, dating from the 1940s to the 2000s, were only available as audio files, making access time-consuming. They capture unique conflict experiences but pose challenges, such as diverse expressions, military jargon, and varied audio quality.
Capgemini, working with Google Cloud, created an innovative solution to improve access to these recordings within IWM’s broader oral history collections.
The project used a sophisticated pipeline on Google Cloud with Gemini models for transcription and analysis. It extracts metadata, such as names of people, places, and military units, and creates detailed summaries of interviews, highlighting key events and themes.
This process, originally estimated to take about 22 years manually, will now only take a few weeks.
“This project is a big step forward in our mission to broadening access to our vast collections,” says Nick Hodder, director of digital engagement and transformation at Imperial War Museums.
“Our expert curators have been fully involved in this work, ensuring the technology delivers very high levels of accuracy, including understanding and interpreting accents, historical facts and military terminology. This landmark collaboration between IWM, Capgemini and Google Cloud is a significant innovation and a first for a UK museum.”
99% word accuracy
The technology achieves 99% word accuracy and 94% speaker diarisation in transcription tests. It enables users to search across interviews using free text, listen with synchronised transcripts, and access AI-generated summaries via an easy interface. An “ask a question” feature enables users to pose natural language queries about any interview, receiving answers accompanied by citations, thereby ensuring accuracy and supporting research.
“We are incredibly proud to partner with Imperial War Museums and Google Cloud on this culturally significant initiative,” says Steven Webb, UK chief technology and innovation officer at Capgemini.
“This project showcases the profound impact of generative AI in unlocking historical archives and making them accessible in new and engaging ways. It’s a testament to how technology can connect us more deeply with our past to inform our future.”
John Abel, managing director, office of CTO at Google Cloud, adds:
“Google Cloud is committed to empowering organisations like Imperial War Museums with AI tools that can transform how we interact with history. The use of Gemini models to process and understand such a vast and nuanced audio collection demonstrates the sophisticated capabilities of generative AI to overcome complex challenges and deliver meaningful outcomes.”
IWM plans to expand its AI capabilities by combining AI analysis with human expertise, enhancing access for researchers, academics, and the public.
Last month, it was announced that the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC will feature a new gallery powered by AI systems when it opens this autumn. The National Archives’ museum is currently undergoing a $40 million renovation, its first in 20 years, before opening to the public on 23 October.
Meanwhile, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has launched an AI-powered tool called ‘Art Explorer,’ which allows users to collect and compare artworks from the museum’s collection. The new tool enhances the Dutch museum’s 800,000-piece collection, making it more searchable and offering an interactive digital experience.
Tools & Platforms
DataBahn.ai Announces New Chief Security and Strategy Officer and Two New Sales Leaders » Dallas Innovates
Left to right: Preston Wood, Payman Faed, and Trevor Crompton [Photos: DataBahn]
DataBahn.ai has appointed Preston Wood as chief security and strategy officer of the Dallas-based provider of a security-native data pipeline platform built for modern enterprise workloads.
Wood brings 25 years of leadership experience in cybersecurity to his new role. He will help drive DataBahn’s mission to transform security data management and enable intelligent automation across global enterprises, the company said.
“I’ve always believed that security and IT teams need the right data, at the right time—enriched with context and real-time analytics—to make smarter, faster decisions,” Wood said in a statement. “DataBahn’s platform is uniquely positioned to solve persistent challenges in data discovery, ingestion, and real-time visibility. I’m excited to join a team so deeply focused on customer success and innovation, and I look forward to helping advance DataBahn’s mission to deliver secure, intelligent, and highly scalable data solutions.”
Wood has served as a three-time chief information security officer and two-time chief technology officer at major financial institutions, including Zions Bancorporation, Bank of the West, and City National Bank. The company said that Wood is known for aligning security and technology strategies with business goals, and he has led the development of robust security frameworks, real-time threat detection programs, and advanced analytics initiatives.
At DataBahn.ai, Wood will partner with engineering and product teams to expand the platform’s strategic vision and deepen customer relationships, the company said.
Wood will lead the development of next-generation solutions, such as intelligent, AI-powered Data Broker workflows, that bring automation, context, and precision to enterprise-scale data orchestration, the company said. DataBahn said that Wood will draw on his dual experience as CISO and CTO in serving a dual role: evangelizing DataBahn’s innovation to enterprise customers while channeling next-generation customer requirements back into the product roadmap.
Sales leadership additions
In addition to Wood, DataBahn.ai said it strengthened its go-to-market capabilities with two key sales leadership appointments.
Payman Faed joins as SVP of sales, West, bringing over 15 years of enterprise cybersecurity sales and leadership experience. He has held senior roles at leading MDR and SIEM providers, including Lumifi and Castra. Faed is recognized for building high-performing teams and scaling partner-first go-to-market strategies, the company said.
At DataBahn, Faed will oversee strategic accounts across the Western U.S., accelerate national expansion, and lead a team of account executives focused on customer value and revenue growth.
Trevor Crompton has been appointed vice president of sales, EMEA. Crompton has more than 30 years in the IT industry—nearly half spent building and leading startup organizations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa—and he brings deep expertise in helping security professionals gain visibility into complex data environments.
At DataBahn.ai, Crompton will lead the company’s expansion in EMEA, helping customers address growing data complexity while reducing storage costs and simplifying operations.
“With the addition of Preston, Payman, and Trevor, we’re assembling a powerhouse leadership team that combines technical excellence, deep customer empathy, and proven go-to-market execution,” Nanda Santhana, co-founder and CEO of DataBahn.ai, said in a statement. “Their collective experience across security, data management, and global GTM strategy positions us to accelerate our growth and deliver even greater value to enterprises worldwide.”
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Tools & Platforms
Sheriff T.K. Waters discusses AI facial recognition technology use – Action News Jax
Tools & Platforms
California IT Leaders to Talk AI, Security and More at State of Technology
On Aug. 7, IT leaders from across the California state enterprise will gather to talk tech at the annual State of Technology — California Industry Forum.
The event will feature several California tech leaders, including:
The one-day event will cover subjects including procurement, innovation, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
Joe Morris, chief innovation officer for the Center for Digital Government*, will give a breakdown of the California budget.
Industry Insider — California members will receive a discount on registration. Check-in begins at 12:30 p.m., and the event ends at 5:15 p.m. The event will take place at Hilton Sacramento Arden West. For questions or registration, contact Brad Loebs.
*The Center for Digital Government is part of e.Republic, Industry Insider — California’s parent company.
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