The Digital Footprint of Human History

Digital archives are growing fast, and traditional methods can’t keep up. AI offers new ways to manage, restore, and search vast collections with more speed and accuracy. Projects like the Time Machine and BBC Archives show how powerful these tools can be. But with that power come questions: Who owns the data? What voices are missing? And who gets access to the tech? This piece looks at how AI is changing archiving—and what we need to watch out for.

OpenAI’s Deep Research is a new AI tool designed to revolutionize how researchers—especially historians—analyze information, uncover patterns, and generate insights. While it speeds up complex research and shows promise in both academic and personal contexts, it also raises concerns about accuracy, bias, and the limits of AI understanding.