Smithsonian Combines American Revolution Artifacts with Artificial Intelligence

As preparations advance toward the 250th anniversary celebration of the founding of the United States, leaders at the Smithsonian Institution are utilizing artificial intelligence to better understand and connect historical artifacts within their collections.

Revolution Crossroads Project

Under a project named Revolution Crossroads, researchers have begun applying artificial intelligence models to establish connections between institutions such as the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress.

This work aims to provide an in-depth perspective on how communities formed and functioned during the founding era.

New Stories from the Past

Thanks to artificial intelligence models, connections that previously required long periods of manual searching are being identified much more quickly.

The ultimate goal of the project is to restore the lives and stories of ordinary people forgotten over centuries back into the public record.

Digitization Efforts

The Smithsonian team identified approximately 10,000 objects focusing on people who lived during the 40-year period between 1770 and 1810.

Digitization and, in some cases, re-digitization processes were carried out to make these objects accessible by artificial intelligence.

Technology and Human Oversight

Institute officials state that a healthy, cautious approach is adopted when using artificial intelligence, and controversial edge models are avoided.

Great importance is placed on the supervision of trained historians to recognize nuances that machines might miss when examining documents and data.