The enduring meaning of Holocaust survivor testimony in education: AI and the emerging post-witness era

Abstract The use of testimony in Holocaust education has recently seen a significant shift with the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to preserve survivor representation and interactivity. With the emerging post-witness era, such approaches demand ethical consideration regarding system design, survivor ownership of testimony beyond the time of recording, and implementation with school-aged learners. The guiding research question is: what are the ethical and educational perspectives of the designers, implementers, and facilitators of AI-mediated interactive Holocaust survivor testimony experiences? Qualitative research to analyse the perspectives of museum educators as designers of Dimensions in Testimony (DiT) was conducted via semi-structured interviews at the Sydney Jewish Museum in 2024. A thematic analysis was conducted whereby inductive approaches articulated key ideas surrounding curriculum, pedagogy, and ethics. Designers at the Sydney Jewish Museum are effectively implementing interactive testimony by drawing connections from survivor narratives to objects in the museum collection and the curriculum. Positive findings note student active co-construction of testimony experiences, but concerns are raised regarding narrative guardianship, the generalised nature of filming, and for continued authentic testimony experiences as the post-witness era is realised. Findings are considered in line with participatory design features to conclude that whilst it can never fully replicate the experience of interacting with a Holocaust survivor, DiT can play a meaningful role in a broader ecosystem of Holocaust education. Genuine ethical concerns surrounding survivor representation and student engagement are perpetuated, however, and demand educator awareness.