In recent years, there has been an unprecedented surge in innovation, with Artificial Intelligence leading the charge. While hologram technology has long been a staple in the entertainment industry, its application is now poised to revolutionize academia. The era of mundane classroom lectures and monotonous Zoom calls is coming to an end. A UK university is poised to introduce guest lessons delivered by professors from around the world through holographic projections. Moreover, several institutions have already adopted pioneering hologram technology, allowing renowned figures such as Michael Jackson and Albert Einstein to grace classroom environments.
Loughborough University in Leicestershire, United Kingdom, is set to pioneer holographic technology in Europe, as reported by The Guardian. The university has already embarked on using this innovative technology to live-stream guest lectures from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). These lectures, led by experts in sports science, are designed to instruct fashion students on creating immersive shows and provide management studies students with insights into handling complex business scenarios.
According to Prof. Vikki Locke, the director of undergraduate studies at Loughborough University, students have expressed great enthusiasm for the holographic technology. She noted that while Zoom calls sometimes create a sense of distance, holographic images are more engaging and realistic for students. As a result, they prefer having a “guest speaker from industry appear as a holographic image in the classroom rather than a 2D person on the wall.“
Following a year of trial and experimentation, the holographic technology will officially become part of the university’s curriculum in 2025. Proto, a Los Angeles-based company, will be responsible for projecting holographic figures into the classroom. Proto is known for its box-based holographic units utilized by companies like IBM and BT to minimize corporate travel needs. Additionally, Proto collaborates with the fashion retailer H&M in Sweden to develop interactive product displays.
David Nussbaum, the founder of Proto, established the company four years ago, initially focusing on holograms of deceased celebrities. However, his vision has evolved, now aiming to resurrect some of history’s most prominent figures with the aid of AI.
Nussbaum shared with The Guardian, “Proto has the capability to project an image of Stephen Hawking, or anyone else, and make it appear as though he’s truly present. An AI-generated Stephen Hawking would resemble him, sound like him, and interact as if he were there. It’s awe-inspiring, it’s jaw-dropping, and I’ve been amazed at how incredible the interactions can be. AI is becoming an integral part of our lives, whether people embrace it or not.”
Nussbaum is determined to democratize hologram technology, making it accessible to the general public. He stresses, “You shouldn’t need to be an eccentric millionaire or a celebrity to own a hologram.”
Professor Rachel Thomson, the pro-vice-chancellor of Loughborough University, noted that employing hologram avatars aligns with the university’s sustainability objectives. Instead of flying guest lecturers across the Atlantic Ocean, beaming in guest lectures via hologram technology offers a more environmentally sustainable approach.
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