Conceptual advancement in epistemology and methodology of research in the Humanities with AI
Within the broad spectrum of practices that fall under the label of “science with AI”, historical-religious knowledge performs a specific function: it is not a late and passive user of the by-products of digital innovation, but rather a proactive and validating actor from the early stages of the adoption and development of innovative technologies. What AI research makes possible is not merely a gain in time, but a gain in epistemic horizons. This requires a radical intellectual shift, as well as the effort to formulate questions that would be impossible, or scarcely conceivable, “without AI”. This volume brings together contributions by scholars in history, philosophy, philology, law, political science, media studies, linguistics, art, and statistics, some of whom have been conducting research with digital technologies for many years. They reflect on the new and more complex questions that artificial intelligence enables them to pose both to their sources and to the developers of AI systems. At the same time, they examine the role of their own expertise in the very construction, evaluation, and critical understanding of AI.
Alberto Melloni
Alberto Melloni is Full Professor of History of Christianity at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Secretary of FSCIRE – Fondazione per le scienze religiose (Bologna and Palermo) and Chair holder of the UNESCO Chair on Religious Pluralism and Peace at the University of Bologna. Since 2020, he has been also one of the European Commission’s Chief Scientific Advisors.
AI Science with AI Digital innovation Innovative technologies Epistemic horizons History Philosophy Philology Law Political science Media studies Linguistics Art Statistics Artificial intelligence