Breen also experimented with AI models to simulate the diagnosis and treatment of a 17th-century physician. He found that a custom GPT model, provided with a list of common 17th-century drug and medicine names and guidance about the task, was able to offer a diagnosis and treatment plan that closely resembled those of the time. Breen believes that while AI cannot replace the factual accuracy of a human historian, it can be used to stimulate historical empathy and imagination.
Key takeaways:
- UC Santa Cruz history professor Benjamin Breen is exploring the use of generative AI as a tool for historical research and teaching, not as a replacement for human authors.
- He has used AI to simulate historical experiences, such as an LSD trip in the 1960s, and found it useful for engaging with alternative versions of the world and enhancing experiential learning.
- In a survey, 84% of his students reported that AI historical simulations greatly or somewhat enhanced their understanding of the time period.
- Breen also experimented with a language model fine-tuned on early modern European texts, which he used to simulate a 17th-century physician's diagnosis and treatment plan, demonstrating the potential of AI for historical empathy and creative engagement with the past.