Seeing in color: Museum uses AI to colorize images

(Panther photo by Alexis Wilson)

A new museum aims to use artificial intelligence to bring color to black-and-white photos.

The new Civil Rights Museum in Orangeburg is set to open soon, and its founder, Cecil Willams, has revealed the museum’s use of AI for image colorization.

Black-and-white photos make up most of the imagery that will be seen in the new museum to be situated at Railroad Corner in downtown. But Williams wants to convert these images to color, stating that humans see color better than black and white.

“We don’t see and visualize in black and white. … We visualize in color,” Williams said.

To achieve this conversion, the noted civil rights photographer from Orangeburg is using apps such as MidJourney AI, Adobe Photoshop, and ChatGPT.

According to Williams, the images are not being altered by these applications. The images are just being converted to color. Williams achieves the colorizations by inputting certain prompts into the applications.

“You have to be very specific as to what you want. … You're not changing the photograph, you’re merely making it in color,” Williams said.

Additionally, Williams notes that the Civil Rights Museum will be one of the first museums to use this type of technology for its exhibitions.

Williams is aware of some of the negative effects of AI usage, such as AI’s tendency to make mistakes. If mistakes occur because of AI, Williams discards the attempt and starts over.

“It can’t be completely relied on without the right kind of prompts,” Williams said.

In 2022, Williams began using AI with his extensive collection of civil rights photography. He realized the power of using technology in the museum when he was able to give virtual tours. He decided to experiment with AI to color his photos.

“We have been doing this for three or four years now … as of more recently in the last six months,” Williams said.

He warns people about trying to replicate what the museum is doing with AI. Williams has access to the paid version of ChatGpt which gives him more accessibility to certain AI tools.

More information about the museum’s AI usage is forthcoming through social media posts and museum soft-launch dates.