On March 18, 2026, the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) offered a powerful preview of its future—one where history is no longer static, but conversational. As part of its ongoing renovation, the museum unveiled a new series of interactive AI-driven StoryFiles, including a deeply moving experience featuring actor and activist George Takei.
At the center of the event was Takei’s StoryFile, an interactive interview that allows visitors to ask questions and receive responses drawn from hours of recorded testimony about his childhood experience in U.S. incarceration camps during World War II. The technology transforms oral history into a living dialogue, preserving memory in a form that feels immediate and human.
A Conversation Across Generations
Unlike traditional exhibits, StoryFile enables visitors to engage directly with historical voices. Through natural language interaction, guests can “speak” with Takei and other survivors, asking questions and hearing authentic, pre-recorded responses.
As Takei shared during the event, the experience represents something far larger than technology:
“An overwhelming opportunity to keep on keeping on beyond today.”
His words capture the essence of the project—ensuring that firsthand accounts of injustice, resilience, and identity endure far beyond a single lifetime.
Preserving Truth Through Technology
The StoryFile platform is designed with a clear purpose: accuracy and authenticity. Each response is drawn exclusively from recorded interviews, preserving the integrity of the speaker’s voice and experience.
Visitors can approach a life-sized screen and engage in conversation, asking questions about incarceration, civil liberties, and personal memory—receiving answers grounded entirely in real testimony.
This approach is particularly significant in the context of Japanese American incarceration, where firsthand accounts are essential to understanding the human impact of wartime policies.
A New Chapter for JANM
The March event is part of a broader transformation at JANM, which is reimagining how visitors engage with history through its upcoming renovation. The integration of StoryFile technology will play a central role in these new galleries, offering immersive, first-person storytelling experiences.
JANM President and CEO Ann Burroughs emphasized the importance of this work:
“First person storytelling has always been an important part of JANM’s mission.”
She noted that these efforts ensure stories are preserved and shared in ways that connect past and present, allowing future generations to engage directly with lived experiences.
Expanding the StoryFile Experience
Takei’s StoryFile is one of several new interactive interviews debuting at the museum, alongside stories from other survivors and community members. Together, they form a growing archive of voices that reflect the breadth of the Japanese American experience—from incarceration to military service and beyond.
These StoryFiles will be integrated into JANM’s renovated spaces when the museum fully reopens, offering visitors an unprecedented level of engagement with history.
Watch and Learn More
For a closer look at the exhibit and event coverage:
The March 18 event marks a meaningful step forward—not just for JANM, but for how we preserve and share human stories. With StoryFile, history is no longer something we observe. It’s something we can ask questions of, learn from, and carry forward—one conversation at a time.
