The talk explores the creative, curatorial and technological process behind developing a historically credible AI avatar of Queen Eleanor of Castile for Pilgrimage of Love at Leeds Castle. It examines key curatorial and interpretive considerations, including accuracy, transparency and the balance between historical authenticity and visitor expectations when enabling the public to converse with a reconstructed figure.

The session outlines the experience-design approach used to integrate the avatar into the exhibition’s storytelling, creating an encounter that is immersive, engaging and accessible while deepening understanding of Eleanor’s life and legacy. Finally, it covers the artistic and technical development processes, from the artistic development of the avatar to selecting and refining the language model to implementing the avatar within a historic interior—highlighting the opportunities and challenges of using AI for heritage interpretation.