Google's Fabricius Leverages Machine Learning to Decode Ancient Hieroglyphs

Google’s Arts and Culture platform is known for its innovative apps and tools that enhance engagement with art and history. In 2018, it introduced a feature that allows users to discover their fine art doppelganger by uploading a selfie. More recently, Google added filters that transform your photos into the style of artistic masters like Van Gogh and Da Vinci.

Now, Google has launched Fabricius, a web-based AI tool designed to interact with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and assist researchers in decoding these symbols through machine learning. Named after the father of epigraphy (the study of ancient inscriptions), Fabricius enables users to send roughly translated messages in hieroglyphs to friends.

Fabricius consists of three main sections: Learn, Play, and Work.

1. Learn: This section features a quick six-stage course on the history and study of hieroglyphs. Users engage in activities such as tracing and drawing symbols, with machine learning evaluating the accuracy of their attempts. For example, after seeing the Ankh symbol for just five seconds, I received a 100% accuracy rating, while my drawing of a sceptre was rated at 98%.

2. Play: Here, you can type a message into a text field, and the tool generates the closest hieroglyphic translation. Users can share their messages on social media or send links to friends. However, it's important to note that these translations are for entertainment and not academically precise.

3. Work: This section is tailored for researchers, allowing them to decode hieroglyphs by uploading images to a digital workbench. Google states that Fabricius is the first digital tool for decoding Egyptian hieroglyphs utilizing machine learning, streamlining a process that previously required experts to sift through extensive literature for translations. Fabricius is also being released as open source on GitHub to support research in ancient languages.

You can access the Fabricius site to learn about or create hieroglyphic messages on your phone or desktop, while the decoding workbench is available exclusively on desktop. This innovative platform not only aims to deepen our understanding of ancient history but also offers an enjoyable way to explore our past.