Humanitext Project

Message from the Project Leader

Our project is also characterized by the wide range of fields covered by our joint research, so please feel free to send us a message!

●Project Leader: Naoya Iwata
Contact: iwata.naoya.y7[at]f.mail.nagoya-u.ac.jp
*Change [at] to @.

Project Details

“I wonder what the ancients thought happened to the soul after death?”

We live in an age where asking ChatGPT immediately yields contextually relevant answers. However, the sources underlying these responses are diverse, inconsistent in quality, and challenging to incorporate reliably into academic research.

In the field of Western classical studies, numerous textual databases containing trustworthy information have been developed, primarily overseas. Today, researchers have access to vast amounts of high-quality resources online, including original texts, dictionaries, grammars, translations, and scholarly commentaries. Yet, searching a database for a term such as “soul” can return tens of thousands of results. Identifying which entries specifically pertain to the concept of the “soul after death” becomes impractical, as checking each result individually would be virtually impossible.

If this information could be provided contextually—based on reliable sources—it would significantly enhance research efficiency.

Research methodologies in Western classical studies are poised for a dramatic transformation. This project aims to create an international research platform originating in Japan, dedicated not only to Western classical studies but also broadly to the humanities.

Moreover, we seek to expand this platform to other academic fields. As a practical example, we are currently developing an AI system designed to provide accurate and comprehensible information on laws and regulations, including their context. By lowering the barriers preventing citizens from understanding complex legal texts, we can facilitate meaningful discussions regarding their appropriate implementation and legitimacy.

Several additional social issues must be addressed when incorporating generative AI technology into humanities research. These include establishing robust research methodologies, ethical guidelines, and educational frameworks to utilize large language models (LLMs) effectively, all supported by a reliable academic data infrastructure. Ultimately, our project seeks to introduce the public to a novel approach to research and education: a methodology we call AI Humanities.

(Text by Tatsuro Ayatsuka)

Gallery

Financial resources

◆Hagiwara Foundation for the Promotion of Science “Promotion of Western Classical Studies and Education Using Large-Scale Language Models
◆Mitsubishi Foundation for the Humanities
◆Recommended Joint Research “ROIS-DS-JOINT2024-1” General joint research (RP) “Research on AI-driven textual analysis and database extension techniques for Western Classical Studies
◆Project for Creation of Future Society (Academia Composition) “Development of Reliability-Oriented Information Provision System for Laws and Regulations

Publication

■Article/Nagoya University Research Achievement Site (2024/5/30) “You can consult Socrates about your life with a generative AI! Development of a Dialogue System Contributing to the Breakthrough of Western Classical Studies”
https://www.nagoya-u.ac.jp/researchinfo/result/2024/05/ai-14.html
■Article/Chunichi Shimbun (2024/5/31) “Can you consult Aristotle about your life?　Generative AI system for Western classical references, developed by Nagoya University and others”.
https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/906842
■Article/NHK NEWS WEB (2024/6/12) “Consult the great men! How can they solve our modern problems?
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20240612/k10014478351000.html
■Article/NHK Nagoya Broadcasting Station (2024/6/19) “Consult Aristotle! How can the great men of antiquity solve the problems of our time?
https://www.nhk.or.jp/nagoya/lreport/article/005/05/
■Kyodo News (2024/7/6) “Can we consult Socrates about life? Nagoya University’s AI dialogue system” (2024/7/6) “Can you consult Socrates?
https://www.47news.jp/11159337.html
■Article/Institute for the Promotion of Academic Research, Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration, Nagoya University (2024/7/12) “One year since ‘Let’s make something! One year after “Let’s make something!”, the collaboration between Western classics and AI is in hot progress”.
https://note.com/nagoya_ura/n/n531e7ae84f13
■TV/radio program/BS Fuji Galileo X (2024/7/28) “Everyday Life with Generative AI
■Newspaper/magazine/Kodomo no Kagaku (September 2024) “Dialogue with philosophers like Socrates with AI?
https://www.seibundo-shinkosha.net/magazine/kids/89102/
■Article/Chunichi Shimbun (2024/8/20) “Can ‘Dialogue’ with Aristotle, too: The Challenge of a Western Classics Researcher Who Was an Amateur at AI and Programming”
https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/945973
■Article/CocaNet (2024/8/20) “Generative AI can talk with philosophers like Socrates!
https://www.kodomonokagaku.com/read/81327/