Google Introduces New AI Model for Historical Reconstruction: Aeneas
Google DeepMind's AI model, Aeneas, is revolutionising the way historians approach the study of the Roman Empire. By rapidly analysing large databases of ancient inscriptions, Aeneas assists in the reconstruction of lost or damaged Latin texts, filling in missing parts with remarkable accuracy and placing inscriptions within their historical context [1][2][3].
The key capabilities of Aeneas include:
- Reading and restoring fragmented Latin inscriptions: Aeneas can complete texts where letters or words are missing, even when the lengths of gaps are unknown, much like solving a crossword with missing clues [3][4].
- Contextualizing inscriptions: Aeneas finds parallels based on wording, syntax, style, and geographical provenance within a vast dataset, helping historians understand when and where an inscription was created, even if it is undated or relocated [1][3].
- Generating historical "fingerprints": The AI turns each inscription into a distinctive profile, uncovering deep connections between texts that might otherwise be missed [3].
- Multimodal analysis: Aeneas can analyse both textual and visual inputs (such as weathered stone inscriptions), which enhances its ability to decipher long-weathered engravings [3].
- Speed and efficiency: The model can quickly surface relevant parallels and context, reducing the guesswork and hunch-based methods traditionally used by historians and epigraphers [1][3].
By combining these abilities, Aeneas not only recovers the meaning and context behind ancient Latin inscriptions but also boosts historians' confidence in their interpretations and reveals cross-regional connections within the Roman world [1][2].
Google has made Aeneas, its training data, and an interactive online tool called "Predicting the Past" openly available, democratising access to advanced inscription analysis [5]. The hope is that AI can accelerate the pace of discovery, allowing historians to focus their efforts on deeper contextual analysis and broader historical questions.
It's important to note that Aeneas is not intended to replace scholars, but to enhance historical interpretation. The model's creators emphasise that Aeneas offers plausible, interpretable suggestions, much like a colleague might [6].
Aeneas, named after the Trojan hero Aeneas, is trained to analyse inscriptions from the Roman Empire. Its abilities open the door to revisiting countless inscriptions that had been considered too fragmented to interpret [7]. For example, Aeneas was able to triangulate the likely location of an inscription in Roman Britain and suggest a date range that matched recent archaeological findings [6].
In one notable case, Aeneas spotted stylistic features that tied a religious dedication in North Africa to a political decree from Gaul, helping reestablish a long-forgotten administrative link [2]. Aeneas has also revealed subtleties in high-profile imperial texts and obscure regional graffiti, such as previously unseen linguistic trends, cross-regional links, and evolving naming conventions.
In summary, Aeneas is a powerful tool that combines AI-powered pattern recognition and historical databases to restore incomplete texts and situate them accurately in time and place, greatly accelerating and improving the process of interpreting ancient Latin inscriptions [1][2][3][4].
[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03913-w [2] https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210519-how-ai-is-helping-us-understand-ancient-inscriptions [3] https://deepmind.com/research/research-areas/aeneas [4] https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/19/22446439/google-deepmind-aeneas-ai-latin-inscriptions-ancient-rome [5] https://deepmind.com/research/open-source/predicting-the-past [6] https://www.wired.co.uk/article/google-deepmind-aeneas-ai-latin-inscriptions [7] https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/may/19/ai-uncovers-lost-voices-of-ancient-rome-by-reading-inscriptions
- The AI model, Aeneas, not only improves the process of interpreting ancient Latin inscriptions by restoring fragmented texts, but it also demonstrates the potential of technology, such as artificial-intelligence, in leapfrogging our understanding of the Roman Empire by analyzing various inscriptions.
- The advancements in AI technology, as showcased by Aeneas, surpass traditional methods by not only recognizing patterns in Latin inscriptions but also generating "fingerprints," aiding in the discovery of cross-regional connections within the Roman world, remarkably like modern-day tablet devices offering access to a vast collection of data at one's fingertips.
