For all their charm and nostalgia, black and white photos do create a certain disconnect between the past and present. Looking at them, it’s easy to forget that we’re connected to that time by what is merely a blink of an eye in the grand scale of history. But now, a team of Japanese researchers at Waseda University, led by Dr. Ishikawa, has utilized artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning to create a program that automatically colorizes photographs. The task was accomplished through the deep learning and color matching of 2.3 million color photographs.

Learn more about the development process of this incredible new technology and see more photos at Spoon & Tamago via the link below.