Aeneas AI Unlocks Roman History

AI Unlocks Ancient Rome’s Secrets, But at What Cost?

A new generation of artificial intelligence is revolutionising our understanding of the Roman Empire, deciphering damaged inscriptions and revealing lost histories. But as historians embrace these powerful tools, they grapple with profound questions about the future of their discipline and the ethics of resurrecting the past.

Beyond their famous advancements in public health, medical practice, and legal systems, the Romans left an indelible mark on history through an extensive and diverse archive of inscribed texts. These writings, etched into stone, metal, and pottery, offer a direct connection to the classical era, a chorus of voices from every level of society. For centuries, the task of deciphering these messages has fallen to epigraphers, scholars who painstakingly piece together fragmented texts. Now, an innovative AI program from the labs of Google DeepMind, called Aeneas, promises to transform this arduous work, accelerating the pace of discovery and shedding new light on one of history’s greatest empires. But this technological leap also brings with it a host of ethical and practical challenges that are forcing a reckoning within the field of historical research.

The Whispers of Stone: Why Roman Inscriptions Matter

Roman inscriptions are far more than simple engravings; they are the unvarnished records of a lost world. Unlike literature, which was largely the domain of the elite, these texts were created by people from all walks of life. They are found on grand monuments, humble tombstones, and everyday objects, providing a rich tapestry of Roman existence. Imperial edicts, romantic verses, commercial ledgers, and political slogans all contribute to our understanding of the intricate social, political, and economic fabric of the empire. Historians rely on these primary sources to fill the gaps in the literary record, often correcting or adding nuance to narratives penned by conquerors. Unearthing approximately 1,500 additional inscriptions each year continually adds to this invaluable archive, offering fresh insights into the daily lives, beliefs, and aspirations of the Roman people.

The Epigrapher’s Herculean Task

Before the advent of artificial intelligence, the work of an epigrapher was a slow and meticulous process, demanding immense knowledge and patience. Confronted with a weathered or broken inscription, a historian would embark on a laborious search for "parallels" – similar texts that could offer clues to the missing words, the date of creation, or the place of origin. This quest involved scouring vast archives and relying on a lifetime of accumulated expertise. The immense scope of the Roman territories, spanning millennia and continents, meant that even the most dedicated scholar could only hope to become an expert in one particular area or time period. This traditional method, while foundational to the discipline, was fraught with challenges, from the risk of misinterpretation to the simple fact that some fragments were too damaged to yield their secrets.

Aeneas: The AI Epigrapher

Into this world of painstaking scholarship comes Aeneas, a groundbreaking AI developed by Google DeepMind. Its name is taken from the legendary hero of Troy who journeyed to Italy; this powerful tool is designed to assist historians in their quest to understand ancient Rome. The process is a collaborative one: a historian feeds the system a scan of an inscription, along with a partial transcription. Aeneas then draws upon its vast database, developed using nearly 200,000 Latin texts, to offer educated guesses for the missing words and to identify potential parallels from across the Roman world. This not only speeds up the investigative work but also uncovers connections that a human scholar might have missed. The system can even pinpoint an inscription's creation date with an accuracy of thirteen years and identify its likely province of origin, offering invaluable context for fragmented artefacts.

Image Credit - BBC

Beyond Aeneas: AI's Growing Role in Archaeology

The development of Aeneas is part of a broader trend of AI's increasing integration into the field of archaeology. Around the world, researchers are harnessing the power of machine learning to make remarkable discoveries. In Peru, AI has been used to analyse satellite imagery, leading to the identification of over 50 new Nazca Lines – vast geoglyphs etched into the desert floor that are invisible to the naked eye. In Italy, AI has enabled the virtual reconstruction of Pompeii, allowing historians and the public to experience the city as it was before the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. These projects, along with others focused on artifact analysis and the decipherment of ancient languages, demonstrate the transformative potential of AI in unveiling the secrets of our past.

A Glimpse into the Machine: The Power of Neural Networks

The technology underpinning Aeneas is a sophisticated deep neural network, a form of AI that mimics the workings of the human brain. This network, a successor to an earlier model named Ithaca that focused on Greek texts, has been developed using a massive repository of Latin inscriptions. This allows it to recognise subtle linguistic patterns, grammatical structures, and common formulas that are characteristic of different time periods and geographical regions. When presented with a new inscription, Aeneas doesn't just search for keywords; it analyses the text in its entirety, identifying deeper historical and linguistic connections. This ability to reason across thousands of texts in a matter of seconds represents a paradigm shift in the field of epigraphy, augmenting the skills of human historians and opening up new avenues for research.

The Res Gestae Divi Augusti: A Case Study in AI-Assisted History

One of the most compelling demonstrations of Aeneas's capabilities came when it was applied to the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, a monumental inscription outlining the accomplishments and life of Augustus, Rome's inaugural emperor. This text, a cornerstone of Roman history, has long been the subject of scholarly debate regarding its precise date of composition. After analysing the inscription, Aeneas suggested two possible timeframes for its creation: either the initial decade before the Common Era or the years from 10 to 20 CE. This remarkable finding mirrors the ongoing debate among human historians, who have argued for the same two timeframes. The fact that the AI could independently arrive at the same conclusion as human experts highlights its potential as a powerful tool for validating and refining historical interpretations.

From Mainz to the Wider Empire: Uncovering Hidden Connections

In another impressive feat, Aeneas examined texts on a votive altar found in Mogontiacum, which is today the German city of Mainz. Through identifying faint parallels in the language, the AI revealed that the writing showed inspiration from a more ancient votive altar from the area. This was a connection that had previously gone unnoticed by scholars, a "jaw-dropping moment" for the historians involved in the project. This ability to uncover hidden dialogues between texts across time and space is one of Aeneas's most exciting features. It promises to move the study of inscriptions beyond the analysis of individual artifacts and towards a more networked understanding of the Roman world, where ideas and influences can be traced across vast distances.

The Human-AI Partnership: Augmentation, Not Automation

The developers of Aeneas are keen to stress that the tool is designed to augment, not replace, human expertise. The goal is to create a synergistic partnership between historian and machine, where the AI handles the heavy lifting of data analysis, freeing up scholars to focus on the more nuanced tasks of interpretation and critical thinking. In tests, this collaborative approach has proven highly effective, with Aeneas improving the accuracy of expert analysis in nine out of ten cases. This model of human-AI collaboration is likely to become increasingly common in the humanities, as researchers find new ways to leverage the power of machine learning to enhance their own skills and insights.

The Ethical Minefield: Bias in the Algorithm

Despite its immense potential, the rise of AI in historical research is not without its perils. One of the most significant concerns is the issue of algorithmic bias. AI systems are trained on vast datasets of historical information, and if that data reflects the biases of the past, the AI will inevitably learn and perpetuate those biases. In the context of Roman inscriptions, this could mean that the voices of marginalised groups, which are already underrepresented in the historical record, are further silenced. Addressing this challenge requires a conscious effort to create more diverse and inclusive datasets, as well as a critical awareness of the limitations of AI-generated interpretations.

Image Credit - BBC

The "Black Box" Problem: Can We Trust AI's Conclusions?

Another significant ethical challenge is the "black box" problem. Many AI systems, particularly deep neural networks, are so complex that it is difficult to understand how they arrive at their conclusions. This lack of transparency can be problematic in a field like history, where the ability to show one's working is paramount. If a historian cannot explain the reasoning behind an AI's interpretation, can they truly be said to understand it? This raises fundamental questions about the nature of evidence and the role of human judgment in the historical process. As AI becomes more integrated into historical research, there will be a growing need for more interpretable AI systems that can provide clear and understandable explanations for their outputs.

The Risk of Historical Manipulation

The power of AI to generate convincing text and images also opens up the possibility of historical manipulation. In the wrong hands, AI could be used to create fake historical documents or to alter existing ones, blurring the lines between fact and fiction. This is a particularly concerning prospect in an age of rampant misinformation, where trust in institutions is already at a low ebb. The community of historians must remain vigilant in the face of this threat, developing new methods for authenticating historical sources and promoting a culture of critical engagement with all forms of historical information, whether they are generated by humans or machines.

Data Privacy and the Digital Ghost

The use of large datasets in AI research also raises important questions about data privacy. While the subjects of Roman inscriptions are long dead, the same cannot be said for the subjects of more recent historical research. As AI is increasingly used to analyse modern historical records, a danger exists that the personal information of individuals could be used without their consent. This is a complex ethical issue, and one that will require careful consideration as the field of digital history continues to evolve. Established principles of data protection and informed consent from other research fields must be adapted to the unique challenges of historical inquiry.

Redefining the Historian's Craft

The rise of AI is set to redefine the skills required of historians. In the future, a historian must become not only an expert in their chosen field but also a savvy user of digital tools, a critical interpreter of AI-generated data, and a thoughtful contributor to interdisciplinary research teams. This will require a shift in the way that history is taught and practised, with a greater emphasis on digital literacy and data analysis skills. The historian of the future will not be a lone scholar in an archive, but a collaborator in a dynamic and technologically-infused research environment.

The Future of Digital Humanities: A New Frontier for Historical Inquiry

The development of tools like Aeneas marks a new chapter in the long history of the humanities. The field of digital humanities, which has been growing steadily for decades, is now poised for a major leap forward, driven by the power of AI. This will open up new frontiers for historical inquiry, allowing researchers to ask new questions, explore new datasets, and collaborate in new ways. The future of historical research will be more interdisciplinary, more data-driven, and more deeply engaged with the digital world than ever before.

Collaboration is Key: Bridging the Gap Between Disciplines

The successful integration of AI into historical research will depend on close collaboration between historians, computer scientists, and other experts. Historians bring the subject matter expertise and critical thinking skills that are essential for interpreting the past, while computer scientists provide the technical knowledge needed to build and deploy powerful AI tools. By working together, these two groups can ensure that AI is used in a way that is both technologically innovative and historically rigorous. This interdisciplinary approach will be crucial for navigating the ethical and practical challenges of AI in the humanities and for realizing its full potential.

Beyond the Academy: AI and Public Engagement with History

The impact of AI on our understanding of the past is likely to be felt far beyond the confines of academia. AI-powered tools and experiences have the potential to transform public engagement with history, making the past more accessible, more interactive, and more immersive than ever before. Imagine a museum exhibit where visitors can converse with a virtual Roman soldier, or a documentary that uses AI to reconstruct a lost ancient city in stunning detail. These kinds of experiences could spark a renewed interest in history and foster a deeper appreciation for the richness and complexity of the human past.

The Democratisation of Knowledge?

One of the most exciting promises of AI in the humanities is its potential to democratise access to knowledge. By making powerful research tools and vast datasets available to a wider audience, AI could break down the traditional barriers between academic historians and the general public. Open-source platforms like Aeneas allow students, teachers, and amateur historians to engage with primary sources in a way that was previously only possible for a small number of specialists. This could lead to a more participatory and inclusive form of historical inquiry, where knowledge is co-created by a diverse community of learners and researchers.

The Road Ahead: A Call for Critical Engagement

As we stand on the cusp of a new era of historical research, it is clear that AI offers both immense promise and significant challenges. The path forward will require a careful balancing act, a willingness to embrace new technologies while remaining alive to their potential pitfalls. The historical community will need to engage in a robust and ongoing conversation about the ethics of AI, developing new guidelines and best practices to ensure that this powerful technology is used in a responsible and historically sensitive manner. The future of our past may depend on it.

A New Chapter in an Ancient Story

The story of our interaction with the classical era is a long and ever-evolving one. From the Renaissance humanists who first rediscovered the texts of classical antiquity to the epigraphers who have spent their lives piecing together the fragments of the past, each generation has found new ways to connect with the civilizations that came before us. Now, in the 21st century, we are adding a new chapter to that story, one in which artificial intelligence plays a leading role. Tools like Aeneas are not just changing the way we study history; they are changing our relationship with the past itself, bringing us closer than ever before to the people who shaped the world we live in today.