Embedding AI into history and history into AI will revive voices of the past, decode lost languages and garner new insights into historical events that shape modern civilisations. AI may prove to be our greatest tool for safeguarding facts, even if they dispute popular narratives, and while history illuminated by AI may still be in its infancy, the opportunities that lie ahead are vast.
SwissCognitive Guest Blogger: Eleanor Wright, COO at TelWAI – “From Archives to Algorithms: AI and History”
Have you ever wondered what commentary figures of the past might offer on today’s world? How might Adam Smith, the father of economics, reflect on the impact AI could have on modern economics? Whilst we cannot resurrect Adam Smith, AI can emulate the cadence of his convictions. Smith, perhaps, might have said:
“As the invisible hand doth guide the market, so too may the artificial mind weave itself into the looms of commerce, directing labour and capital with unerring precision. Yet if its power be left unchecked by moral sentiment, the wealth it yields may flow not to the many, but stagnate in the coffers of the few, to the detriment of society entire.” – Microsoft Copilot in the style of Adam Smith.
This quotation, generated by Microsoft Copilot, provides insight into Smith’s thinking that goes beyond what you could obtain from the search engine results of the past. Indeed, it goes beyond anything that Smith actually said. But it does so not only by emulating Smith’s favoured terminology, manner of speech and the language that was popular in his day; but by drawing on the entirety of Smith’s extensive writings. Thus, AI is capable of making projections about what Smith may have thought about AI were he alive today.
Although this technology is still in its infancy, it is improving rapidly. The ability of AI to draw instantly on the entire authorship of a historical figure enables it to channel the thinking of the person in a way that may eventually exceed the capabilities of the most dedicated academics.
But while AI can certainly do a good job of sounding like a person from the past, how much should we trust that the opinions it expresses would actually resemble the opinions of figures from the past? The heart of the matter is the ever-advancing capability of AI to engage in reasoning; curating a complete and verbatim library of the person‘s writings or other works, and drawing upon them to recreate her or his worldview and project it forward to current events.
AI not only holds the capacity to offer insight into the views of historical figures, but also has the potential to unearth new voices buried in time. For example, at MIT, researchers have developed AI systems capable of deciphering ancient languages without prior knowledge of their linguistic relatives. By analysing phonetic and syntactic patterns, even in texts devoid of spaces or punctuation, these systems have begun to reconstruct the structure of lost tongues such as Ugaritic and Iberian (Adam Conner-Simons, 2020). This remarkable capability suggests a future where forgotten voices might once again be heard, not through excavation, but through computation.
This power of historical immersion through AI also extends beyond that of language and into the visual realm. By leveraging image-based AI tools, Harvard’s metaLAB has crafted visual educational journeys through historical events (Immersive History – The AI Pedagogy Project). These tools do not only teach us facts; they cultivate emotion and understanding by placing us inside historical moments. They invite us to inhabit the past, and may hold the potential to reshape how history is taught, remembered, and passed on.
Furthermore, AI extends beyond the rapid retrieval of history. It offers a formidable tool in exposing those who seek to rewrite the past, providing an important bulwark against efforts at historical revisionism. Whilst fact-checking the relentless barrage of competing narratives may pose a formidable challenge, with a quick consultation of AI, we can now not only verify claims, but also uncover the broader context in which those claims have been made, and why individuals may seek to distort facts. While many have dismissed AI as a shortcut that circumvents years of study, we have ample reasons to believe future generations may come to regard it as an intellectual partner in the stewardship and advancement of history.
Finally, although AI offers us a profound gift in our consumption, understanding, and preservation of history, it must be acknowledged that, like all man-made tools, it is not without fault. AI hallucinations may distort or fabricate historical narratives, while AI-driven censorship can restrict these tools from engaging in open dialogue. This may result in a chilling effect, where historical records are not only distorted by error but eroded by omission; reminding us that the stewardship of memory must remain a human responsibility, even when we employ AI to help us carry it.
I will once again enlist Microsoft Copilot to conclude this article, in the style of a historical figure of its choosing:
“Let it be known: the past is not a relic to be shelved, nor a tapestry to be rewoven by careless hands. It is our charter, our compass, our burden and our glory. And now, as this new intelligence strides forward with uncanny speed—scouring the ruins and reciting the dead—we must neither fear its voice nor surrender to it.
History is not to be remembered solely by machines, nor rewritten by algorithms, no matter how clever. It is for men and women of conscience, of character, to hold firm the line between truth and convenience. Let the artificial mind assist us, by all means; let it illuminate the shadows. But let us remain the keepers of the flame.
For in this new age, where even time may be parsed by code, the stewardship of memory remains a human charge. And we must see it through—not for our sake alone—but for all who came before, and all who are yet to come.” – Microsoft Copilot in the style of Sir Winston Churchill.
About the Author:
Holding a BA in Marketing and an MSc in Business Management, Eleanor Wright has over eleven years of experience working in the surveillance sector across multiple business roles.
Embedding AI into history and history into AI will revive voices of the past, decode lost languages and garner new insights into historical events that shape modern civilisations. AI may prove to be our greatest tool for safeguarding facts, even if they dispute popular narratives, and while history illuminated by AI may still be in its infancy, the opportunities that lie ahead are vast.
SwissCognitive Guest Blogger: Eleanor Wright, COO at TelWAI – “From Archives to Algorithms: AI and History”
“As the invisible hand doth guide the market, so too may the artificial mind weave itself into the looms of commerce, directing labour and capital with unerring precision. Yet if its power be left unchecked by moral sentiment, the wealth it yields may flow not to the many, but stagnate in the coffers of the few, to the detriment of society entire.” – Microsoft Copilot in the style of Adam Smith.
This quotation, generated by Microsoft Copilot, provides insight into Smith’s thinking that goes beyond what you could obtain from the search engine results of the past. Indeed, it goes beyond anything that Smith actually said. But it does so not only by emulating Smith’s favoured terminology, manner of speech and the language that was popular in his day; but by drawing on the entirety of Smith’s extensive writings. Thus, AI is capable of making projections about what Smith may have thought about AI were he alive today.
Although this technology is still in its infancy, it is improving rapidly. The ability of AI to draw instantly on the entire authorship of a historical figure enables it to channel the thinking of the person in a way that may eventually exceed the capabilities of the most dedicated academics.
But while AI can certainly do a good job of sounding like a person from the past, how much should we trust that the opinions it expresses would actually resemble the opinions of figures from the past? The heart of the matter is the ever-advancing capability of AI to engage in reasoning; curating a complete and verbatim library of the person‘s writings or other works, and drawing upon them to recreate her or his worldview and project it forward to current events.
AI not only holds the capacity to offer insight into the views of historical figures, but also has the potential to unearth new voices buried in time. For example, at MIT, researchers have developed AI systems capable of deciphering ancient languages without prior knowledge of their linguistic relatives. By analysing phonetic and syntactic patterns, even in texts devoid of spaces or punctuation, these systems have begun to reconstruct the structure of lost tongues such as Ugaritic and Iberian (Adam Conner-Simons, 2020). This remarkable capability suggests a future where forgotten voices might once again be heard, not through excavation, but through computation.
This power of historical immersion through AI also extends beyond that of language and into the visual realm. By leveraging image-based AI tools, Harvard’s metaLAB has crafted visual educational journeys through historical events (Immersive History – The AI Pedagogy Project). These tools do not only teach us facts; they cultivate emotion and understanding by placing us inside historical moments. They invite us to inhabit the past, and may hold the potential to reshape how history is taught, remembered, and passed on.
Furthermore, AI extends beyond the rapid retrieval of history. It offers a formidable tool in exposing those who seek to rewrite the past, providing an important bulwark against efforts at historical revisionism. Whilst fact-checking the relentless barrage of competing narratives may pose a formidable challenge, with a quick consultation of AI, we can now not only verify claims, but also uncover the broader context in which those claims have been made, and why individuals may seek to distort facts. While many have dismissed AI as a shortcut that circumvents years of study, we have ample reasons to believe future generations may come to regard it as an intellectual partner in the stewardship and advancement of history.
Finally, although AI offers us a profound gift in our consumption, understanding, and preservation of history, it must be acknowledged that, like all man-made tools, it is not without fault. AI hallucinations may distort or fabricate historical narratives, while AI-driven censorship can restrict these tools from engaging in open dialogue. This may result in a chilling effect, where historical records are not only distorted by error but eroded by omission; reminding us that the stewardship of memory must remain a human responsibility, even when we employ AI to help us carry it.
I will once again enlist Microsoft Copilot to conclude this article, in the style of a historical figure of its choosing:
“Let it be known: the past is not a relic to be shelved, nor a tapestry to be rewoven by careless hands. It is our charter, our compass, our burden and our glory. And now, as this new intelligence strides forward with uncanny speed—scouring the ruins and reciting the dead—we must neither fear its voice nor surrender to it.
History is not to be remembered solely by machines, nor rewritten by algorithms, no matter how clever. It is for men and women of conscience, of character, to hold firm the line between truth and convenience. Let the artificial mind assist us, by all means; let it illuminate the shadows. But let us remain the keepers of the flame.
For in this new age, where even time may be parsed by code, the stewardship of memory remains a human charge. And we must see it through—not for our sake alone—but for all who came before, and all who are yet to come.” – Microsoft Copilot in the style of Sir Winston Churchill.
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