For many years, people could only imagine Deng's story through a rough black-and-white sketch drawn from his comrades' memories.

With the wider application of AI technology, the university officially launched the "AI Archaeology" course in the fall semester of 2024. The course aims to explore innovative intersections between the two disciplines, and students are encouraged to create various projects based on their interests, applying AI solutions to the field of archaeology.

The restoration of Deng's image is one result. Through repeated trial and error, participants have made advancements in various areas, including collecting historical materials, conducting research, AI generation and refinement, scene reconstruction, and more.

"AI does not create a face that never existed. Instead, it generates a historically accurate, period-appropriate visage based on limited historical imagery and documentation," Wen explains.

When the smiling Deng finally came to life from the history archives, Wang Weijia, a postgraduate student involved in the project, felt deeply moved.

"Technology need not be profit-driven to possess serious social value. The martyrs' reconstruction project has no business model, but it gives technology tangible meaning," says Wang.