Gaps in our knowledge of ancient Rome could be filled by AI

Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly valuable tool in helping historians fill the gaps in our knowledge of ancient Rome. With vast amounts of texts, inscriptions, and archaeological evidence either damaged, incomplete, or yet to be discovered, AI offers new ways to analyze and reconstruct the past. For example, machine learning algorithms can be trained to read and interpret Latin texts, even those that are partially destroyed or obscured, allowing scholars to recover content that would otherwise be lost. AI has also been applied to scan and virtually reconstruct buildings, artworks, and even entire cities, using surviving fragments and historical records to generate accurate 3D models. In addition, natural language processing enables researchers to sift through massive bodies of Roman literature, legal codes, and graffiti to uncover social trends, political structures, and cultural nuances. Beyond textual analysis, AI plays a role in predictive archaeology, where it analyzes satellite imagery and topographical data to identify likely locations of undiscovered Roman ruins. This combination of data analysis, pattern recognition, and digital reconstruction makes AI a powerful tool for expanding our understanding of Roman civilization. While it does not replace traditional scholarship, it significantly enhances it—offering insights at a speed and scale that would be impossible through manual research alone.