Anne Frank House launches 3D virtual tour with AI version of Rachel Riley

The Anne Frank House is launching a 3D virtual tour of the famous Amsterdam museum using an AI avatar of Rachel Riley as a multilingual guide.

In partnership with EyeSpy360, a leader in virtual tour technology, the Anne Frank House will now be accessible to worldwide visitors who can immerse themselves in every room of the museum through photos, video clips, sound bites, objects and documents – guided all the way by broadcaster Riley, or at least by her likeness.

Riley's image and voice have been digitally cloned into an avatar, guiding users through the historical spaces in English, Spanish, Dutch or German.

“We're doing this pro bono, and Rachel did it pro bono, too,” said EyeSpy360 CEO Andrew Nicholls. “With everything going on in the world, I was really frustrated that I couldn't do anything about it. A lot of this is about - how do we get the atrocities of what happened across?”

When Nicholls learned that the Anne Frank House was looking for a way to incorporate immersive Holocaust education in schools and colleges around the world, he set about building a virtual walkthrough of the museum.

The 3D tour, which users can access via the museum’s website, includes a digitised exploration of the entire museum, including the annex, the hidden space where Anne, her family and four other Jews took refuge during World War II.

The annex remains empty today, following the wish of Otto Frank, Anne’s father, who survived the Holocaust and dedicated his life to preserving his daughter’s legacy.

Nicholls said EyeSpy360 worked with the Holocaust Education Trust to develop the programme, which will make the museum accessible to people who can’t visit the Amsterdam locale in person.

The tour also provides information about Anne’s life and work, contextualised within the events of World War II and the Holocaust. Riley’s AI avatar, appearing in the bottom righthand of the screen, guides visitors through a deeply moving narrative, making the new programme a valuable resource for schools and Holocaust education efforts across the globe.

Riley, who was awarded an MBE for her services to Holocaust education and antisemitism awareness, said: "I’m deeply honoured to be part of this innovative project, where the latest cutting-edge technology has enabled the creation of a digital clone of both my image and voice, transforming me into a multilingual AI avatar for use as part of a virtual tour of the Anne Frank House.

“This remarkable innovation not only preserves Anne Frank’s powerful story but also makes it accessible worldwide, helping to educate future generations on the importance of tolerance, understanding, and the fight against discrimination.”

Nicholls added: “We’re incredibly proud to collaborate with the Anne Frank House on this groundbreaking virtual experience, which harnesses the power of AI to make history accessible to everyone, regardless of location.

"By creating a multilingual, fully interactive tour, we’re not only preserving Anne Frank’s story but also extending her legacy to new generations worldwide. At EyeSpy360, we’re proud to support projects that bridge cultural and educational gaps, and we’re honoured to contribute to such an important initiative.”