AI helps decode ancient Roman texts and predict missing words

Reuters

A new Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool from Google DeepMind is helping historians bring ancient Roman inscriptions back to life by predicting missing words and dating the texts.

A new artificial intelligence tool developed by Google DeepMind is transforming how historians interpret ancient Roman texts. Named Aeneas, after the legendary Trojan hero, the AI can predict when and where Latin inscriptions were made and suggest missing words in damaged or incomplete texts.

Developed in collaboration with researchers including Dr. Thea Sommerschield from the University of Nottingham, Aeneas is already being hailed as a breakthrough in classical scholarship.

“It helps historians interpret, attribute and restore fragmentary Latin texts,” Sommerschield said.

Inscriptions whether monumental declarations, tomb epitaphs, political graffiti, or everyday records are vital for understanding life in the ancient Roman world. Yet the weathered condition of many of these artefacts has long made translation difficult and slow.

By analyzing patterns in existing inscriptions, Aeneas identifies similar examples and uses those to reconstruct missing or unclear parts. Scholars say it speeds up their research and helps them place inscriptions in historical context more accurately.

An estimated 1,500 new inscriptions are discovered each year, and the use of AI like Aeneas could significantly enhance the speed and accuracy with which these ancient texts are studied and understood.

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