From Herodotus to Algorithms: Rethinking Historical Inquiry in the Age of AI.

Historical inquiry has long been grounded in the careful interpretation of evidence, narrative reconstruction, and the critical evaluation of sources. From Herodotus, who framed history as a method of investigating human events and preserving memory, to subsequent historiographical traditions emphasizing archival rigor, contextual reasoning, and multi-perspective analysis, the discipline has continuously refined how truth is sought and debated. In the contemporary era, vast digital archives, high-volume textual corpora, and fragmented historical records present both extraordinary research opportunities and interpretive challenges. Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in the form of machine learning and natural language processing, now offers new capabilities for identifying patterns across large datasets, reconstructing missing or obscured historical accounts, and evaluating bias in primary materials. However, integrating AI into historical scholarship is not a simple methodological extension; it raises questions about epistemology, authorship, interpretive authority, and the nature of historical narrative itself. This article argues that AI should not replace the historian’s judgment, narrative intuition, or ethical responsibility. Instead, AI can serve as a tool that expands the historian’s investigative reach, revealing patterns and absences that were previously inaccessible. By foregrounding the concept of correcting archival silences, the discussion highlights how algorithm-assisted research can illuminate marginalized voices, recover lost perspectives, and reframe dominant historical narratives. The work proposes a model of historian–algorithm collaboration in which computational methods amplify, rather than distort, the discipline’s core commitment to truth-seeking. Ultimately, rethinking historical inquiry in an age of AI is not about abandoning tradition, but about extending it carrying forward the historian’s enduring task with new analytical instruments, while preserving responsibility for interpretation and meaning.