Overview
Artificial intelligence is used in the preparation of some material published on this website. Because AI can be an extremely useful research and editorial tool—but can also make mistakes—I believe readers deserve a clear explanation of how I use it and, equally importantly, how I do not use it.
AI helps me research, organise, question, analyse, write, and edit. It does not determine what is historically true.
AI output is treated as a research aid—not a primary source, not an academic authority, and not evidence in itself. The arguments published here ultimately stand or fall on the quality of the sources, the reasoning applied to them, and the ability of the evidence to withstand scrutiny.
How I Use AI
AI assists with research leads, organisation, questions, analysis, drafting and editing. Its output must be checked against the underlying material before it is used in the historical argument.
AI Is Not Evidence
AI output is a research aid, not a primary source, an academic authority or evidence in itself. The source is the evidence—not the AI’s description of the source.
Source Verification
Claims must be traced to the relevant source or study. Dates, authorship, context and the distinction between a source’s words and our interpretation matter. A plausible AI answer is not verification.
AI-Assisted Writing
AI may help structure, draft, clarify and edit text. The published argument and responsibility for it remain with the author.
AI & Original Research
AI can suggest comparisons and questions for investigation. A suggestion becomes part of the case only when supporting evidence and reasoning can be examined independently.
Quotations & Citations
Quotations and bibliographic references must be checked against the source. AI-generated wording must not be presented as a historical quotation, and an invented reference must never serve as evidence.
Translation
AI can assist with working translations and comparisons. Wording that carries a historical argument must be checked against the original language and suitable scholarly editions or translations; a working translation is not a critical edition.
Images & Multimedia
AI-assisted images and multimedia are illustrative or creative material. They are not archaeological evidence, authentic historical photographs or proof of a proposed reconstruction.
Hypotheses & Uncertainty
Documented evidence, interpretation and exploratory hypotheses must remain distinguishable. AI assistance does not remove uncertainty or make a proposed identification established history.
Independence
Conclusions depend on sources and reasoning that can withstand scrutiny. AI agreement is not independent corroboration, and several AI answers do not constitute several witnesses.
Responsibility
AI is part of the process. It is not the authority. AI is a tool. The argument is ours. The responsibility is ours.