AI Viking character unveiled in Orkney museum

The UK's first AI-powered Viking character has been created by curators at the Orkney Museum as part of a new exhibition.

Orkney was one of the first places the Vikings arrived in when they left Scandinavia, and the technology will help share that part of the area's history with visitors to the gallery.

The Viking has been named Ragna and she has been programmed with the ability to answer any questions people might have about Viking life in Orkney.

However, Ragna's co-creator Dr Siobhan Cooke-Miller said there were "really no limits" to what people could ask her.

The archaeology curator said they had chosen a female character because women played such a crucial role in the Norse expansion into the North Atlantic, and it was important to highlight their part in this history.

In her backstory, Ragna is a widow who has inherited her farm from her late husband, and is a "powerful and respected woman."

The exhibition also includes rare Viking-era artefacts to create a "truly unique experience for visitors".

The AI addition to the museum - along with three new galleries - was made possible thanks to a substantial donation from an individual.