AI and Historical Research: Foe, Friend, Folly, Future?

What does, and will, historical research look like in the age of AI? What should our expectations, policies, and professional standards be concerning the use generative AI and LLMs as a research tool? For writing? For reading? How are you using-or forestalling-AI use in your research pedagogy and your own work? Following on a successful discussion last Spring on AI and historical pedagogy, Pete Sigal and Phil Stern will facilitate this open discussion among history faculty and students, hopefully seeding ongoing departmental conversations and the sharing of our collective human intelligence on these and many other related, urgent issues.

To spark ideas, we recommend these readings:

Thomas Metcalf, "AI-Produced Humanities Research: On the Dangers of Technical Incrementalism," Philosophy and Technology 39, 2 (2026)
Michael Genovese, "The Cures for AI are Killing Us: The Retreat from Take-Home Essays Jeopardizes the Future of the Humanities" Inside Higher Ed (Sept 17 2026)
Mark Arsenault, et al., "An M.I.T. Report Warns A.I. Is Causing 'Cognitive Surrender.' Universities Are in a Bind," New York Times (Sept 15 2026). [And if you're interested, the MIT report in question].

Lunch will be served.