AI is currently better at answering questions than generating new, innovative research inquiries, highlighting a gap in its utility for academic advancement.
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A newsletter by Dan Cohen on technology that helps rather than hurts human understanding, and human understanding that helps us create better technology.
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The blog post discusses the advancements in handwritten text recognition (HTR) technology, particularly in the context of digital humanities. It highlights the challenges faced in transcribing historical documents, using George Bo...
The article discusses the evolution of library indexing and the integration of large language models (LLMs) like Claude with traditional library systems to enhance research capabilities. It highlights the limitations of current LL...
The article discusses the evolving relationship between AI and cultural heritage institutions, highlighting the challenges and opportunities presented by AI technologies. It emphasizes the need for a framework, specifically the Mo...
6.3A Hero's Iconography
2026-01-19 • photography art boston civil rights ted landsmark
Ted Landsmark's reflection on a 1976 racially charged incident reveals the power of imagery in addressing societal issues like racism and the importance of art in shaping public perception.
The Museum of Jurassic Technology uniquely blends fact and fiction, prompting reflections on memory, creativity, and the nature of human thought through its eclectic exhibits.
AI can enhance library research processes, but scholars must balance its use with the preservation of traditional research integrity and human agency.
5.7The Index and the Vector
2025-10-20 • art cultural heritage education museums ai
The article discusses the relationship between libraries, archives, museums, and artificial intelligence, focusing on how AI can enhance the accessibility and understanding of art collections. It highlights the challenges faced by...
AI companies must prioritize human reassurance and accountability over technological advancements to align with public sentiment and alleviate fears about job loss and reliability.
The article discusses the implications of the Bartz v. Anthropic lawsuit settlement, where Anthropic agreed to pay $1.5 billion to authors whose works were used to train its AI chatbot, Claude. While the settlement is seen as a vi...
The article discusses the deteriorating condition of the First Baptist Church bell tower in Newton Centre, Massachusetts, which is at risk of collapsing. It highlights the historical significance of the church, its architectural s...
The blog post announces the relaunch of Digital Humanities Now (DHNow), a platform founded in 2009 by Dan Cohen to curate and highlight significant work in the digital humanities field. It aims to provide a balanced alternative to...
Clifford Lynch, a visionary leader, passed away after leading the Coalition for Networked Information for over 25 years. He foresaw the impact of digital technology on research and learning. His work on Google Books and digital sc...
The author discusses the limitations of current AI intelligence tests, particularly in the history section, and the importance of asking good questions in history. They also highlight the progress of AI in historical research and ...
The text discusses the potential negative impact of AI on learning, arguing that AI may accelerate learning but not allow for the deep understanding and intuition that comes from traditional learning methods. The author presents s...
The Mellon Foundation has awarded $350,000 to Authors Alliance and Northeastern University Library to explore the best way for books to be incorporated into artificial intelligence in an ethical and productive way that serves the ...
0Synths and Sensibility
2024-10-15 • music technology synthesizer auto-tuning
The text discusses the impact of technology on music, from Beethoven to modern-day synthesizers and Auto-Tune. It explores how technology has been used to create new kinds of shared human experiences and how it has altered the sou...
0No Happy Medium for Books
2024-09-11 • ebooks book publishing copyright libraries
The court ruling curtails the circulation of the written word, affecting the way books are sold, stored, and circulated. The decision will change the nature of libraries, their finances, and the breadth of their collections. Libra...
The text discusses the ability of AI to mimic human expression and the importance of studying the boundaries between common forms and unexpected variance in human expression, with a focus on poetry. It highlights the limitations o...
0AI Comes for Music
2024-06-27 • music creativity human role
The article discusses the conflict between human creativity and artificial intelligence in music production. It questions the authenticity of music generated by AI and the human element that makes music compelling. The author argu...
0Books are Big AI's Achilles' Heel
2024-05-13 • technology book libraries data
The article discusses the impact of AI on society and the need for high-quality training data for AI models. It highlights the importance of books as a source of high-quality data and suggests that libraries should manage collecti...
The article discusses the potential future of science, where new technologies may lead to a transition in scientific practices, making science more like conceptual art. It explores the impact of cloud labs, AI, and programming lan...
The text revisits the original design documents for the Macintosh computer to understand the love/hate relationship with Apple and compares the cost of saving a book and a web page forever. It discusses Apple's consistent vision, ...
The Power Broker by Robert Caro remains relevant 50 years after its publication. The book is about the acquisition, use, and preservation of power, and how it is still relevant today. It discusses the impact of Robert Moses on New...