Modeling Culture: New Humanities Practices in the Age of AI

Application Deadline: April 30, 2025

Since the release of ChatGPT, discussions about artificial intelligence (AI) have sparked both curiosity and concern in the humanities. Much of this debate has centered on the political and ethical implications—bias, labor, environmental effects, and intellectual property—as well as the impact of large language models (LLMs) on teaching and learning. However, a key question remains largely unexplored: how might AI contribute to humanities scholarship itself?

This seminar moves beyond the utopian and apocalyptic socio-technical narratives about AI to examine how humanities practitioners can meaningfully engage with AI. We will consider AI as a tool for humanistic research, an object of critical inquiry, and a proving ground for modeling cultural phenomena. Each session will highlight a form of humanities-driven engagement with generative AI while critically reflecting on its broader implications. Participants will gain an understanding of foundational technical concepts related to AI, with an emphasis on areas where humanities scholars offer unique insights.

Through methodological transparency, iterative experimentation, and ethical reflection, the seminar will illuminate both the possibilities and the limitations of AI in humanities research. Discussions will address key challenges, such as the opacity of AI architectures, biases in model outputs, and the complexities of integrating AI into scholarly workflows. Sessions will provide concrete examples and critical frameworks for applying AI in the humanities.

The seminar will be led by CDH-affiliated and guest instructors. We will meet monthly over 8 sessions (4 per semester), in person at Princeton. Participants are expected to attend all sessions.

Princeton faculty, postdocs, research scholars, and graduate students in any discipline are welcome to apply. Faculty participants will receive $5,000 in summer salary. Graduate student participants will receive $2,000. Visiting faculty are not eligible.

Technical experience is not required.

Please submit a statement of interest (no more than 500 words) that includes:

• Your interest in AI and how it aligns with or engages the humanities.
• Any data-driven, computational, or AI-related research or teaching project you are interested in or have been engaged in.
• Any concerns about attending all sessions.

Applications should be submitted as a single PDF file to cdh-info@princeton.edu with the subject line “Modeling Culture Seminar Application.” The deadline is 11:59 pm EST Wednesday, April 30, 2025.

Notifications will be sent out by May 12, 2025.

For questions, please email cdh-info@princeton.edu.