Today We Can’t Read Cursive, Tomorrow We Are Illiterate: AI and History Meet
Discover the past and future of literacy, explore the changes in how we read and write, and what it means for the future of education and communication. What speech recognition and AI really entail…
It is quite interesting how the handwriting of the past was so different. Cursive prioritize speed over legibility. The younger generation is already unable to read cursive altogether and prefer more readable fonts. After all, technology has made speed possible without forgoing readability.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is also improving at a fast pace thus reducing the risk of us losing all of humanity’s recorded history due to incomprehension. In fact, the chance of us being able to translate lost languages is higher than ever before. With all of the technological leaps over past few years, it wouldn’t be a stretch to expect technology to be capable of reading and translating all of the documents we haven’t been able to decipher.
But what lays in the shadows is a grim truth…
Skip to the part about the dark truth here.
Knowledge has long been transmitted through pen and paper. A tradition so young and yet so old that we fail to see its imminent death. From ancient manuscripts to modern-day documents, the past is full of secrets waiting to be unlocked. Secrets that are revealing different things than we initially expected.
As we move further into the digital age, the future of historical research is changing rapidly. With the advent of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other technological advancements, the way we access and analyze historical data is undergoing a dramatic transformation. It’s time we consider what this might actually mean for our future and plan accordingly.
Digitization is the Key to Preserving the Past
One of the most significant developments in historical research in recent years has been the widespread digitization of historical documents. Institutions such as libraries, archives, and museums around the world have been working tirelessly to scan and digitize their collections of manuscripts, photographs, and other documents. The benefits of this process are numerous, as digitization ensures the preservation of these valuable materials for future generations (who already struggle to read cursive, let alone the messy and complicated handwriting of the past) and makes them much more accessible to researchers and the educated public.
This process is likely to take many more years, but a world in which all of our historical wealth is digitized is extremely promising. It is quite unfortunate that there are so many challenges when it comes to standardizing the sheer volume of documents that exist. Different languages, formats, copyrights and even the quality of the material is making this process difficult.
And digitization alone is not even enough. To truly unlock the potential of digitized historical documents, we need tools that can help us analyze and interpret them. This is where artificial intelligence comes in. It is not new, but how many of us knew about its use in this field?
The Power of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is already being used in a wide range of fields, from healthcare to finance. In historical research, AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we analyze and interpret digitized historical documents.
One of the most promising applications of AI in historical research is handwriting recognition. Many historical documents are handwritten, and the handwriting can be difficult to read and interpret, even for experts in the field. However, with AI, it is possible to train algorithms to recognize different styles of handwriting and even to transcribe the text into digital format automatically.
This has the potential to save researchers a tremendous amount of time and effort, as it eliminates the need for them to spend hours poring over handwritten documents, trying to decipher the text. Instead, they can simply upload the document to an AI-powered platform and quickly receive a digital transcription.
Not just that either, AI can automatically count words or tendencies and properly document the evolution of human languages. Perhaps one day even it’ll even be capable of predicting it. Human researchers can work with the new incredible amount of data AI easily obtain and reach new conclusions and discoveries. And where AI fails, such as if the documents are illegible or it is making mistakes, humans will always have the originals to consult and compare. The human researchers are invaluable to this process.
The Value of Literacy
Another trend that is likely to have a significant impact on the future of historical research is the changing landscape of literacy. 200 years ago, around 12% of the population could read, mostly clergymen, 100 years later and 40-50% of the population could read. Nowadays that number is up to about 86%. But while today, the ability to read and write is considered essential, many people may increasingly begin to rely on speech recognition software and other technologies to communicate.
This has led to concerns that future generations may not be able to read cursive handwriting or other forms of handwritten documents. While this is certainly a possibility, it is important to note that the skills of reading and writing are unlikely to disappear entirely. Instead, they will likely transform and adapt to new technologies and modes of communication: think messages, SMS and so on, typing on a keyboard is already the evolution of writing.
Are we doomed to stupidity then?
Not at all.
The fact that literacy rates are higher than ever before may define this era, these few centuries of literature, but it will not spell the end of intelligence.
It is worth keeping in mind that there is a high percentage of people who do not actually enjoy reading and writing. After all, movies are far more popular than books: everyone can enjoy them regardless of the level of their education. That being said, even movies have different audiences. Some are intended for more educated and intelligent audiences and thus appear “boring” and “bad” to the wider audiences.
to read a great book for the first time in one’s maturity is an extraordinary pleasure, different from (though one cannot say greater or lesser than) the pleasure of having read it in one’s youth.
Youth brings to reading, as to any other experience, a particular flavor and a particular sense of importance, whereas in maturity one appreciates (or ought to appreciate) many more details and levels and meanings.
Nuance and maturity often comes with age, but some people have a deeper appreciation for it earlier in life. Regardless of one’s tastes and intellect, reading and writing will never cease to be important as there will always be people who are curious enough to chase wisdom. Even if one day such practices will disappear, it will only be because it has evolved into a (hopefully) superior version.
We cannot stop what is coming, but we can prepare
The future of historical research is likely to be shaped by a combination of digitization, artificial intelligence, and changing literacy trends. These developments have the potential to revolutionize the way we access and analyze historical data, making it easier and faster than ever before to study the past.
While there are certainly challenges that must be overcome, such as the need for accurate handwriting recognition software and the preservation of handwritten documents, the potential benefits of these technologies are enormous. By embracing the possibilities of the digital age, we can ensure that the past remains accessible and relevant to future generations of scholars and researchers.
BONUS: The Risk of the Digital Age
All of these advances in technology are indeed incredible, but they come with a big risk. If, for whatever reason, the world’s technological level is reset and society forgets how to use and read digital information, we will lose everything. I consider the digitization of historical information just as important as the physical printing of most, or preferably all, of our knowledge to this date. We are already attempting to protect seeds, we should do the same for knowledge, even when it is not in obvious danger.
There are too many cases of systems working, but nobody knowing how the systems themselves work thus nobody can fix them when they inevitably break. The value of tracking our steps and maintaining guides to everything we have and know is of uttermost importance. An almost obsessively attention to details should be employed. I am hoping that AI will also help us in that regard and hopefully all of it will also be printed to physical paper on a regular basis and maintained.
Even if doomsday does not happen, utilizing old methods and systems to store information on future technology is a fail-proof plan to success. Technology is reliable until it isn’t, we haven’t had it for long enough to know.
TL;DR: AI, Digitization, Handwriting Recognition, and Literacy
Digitization of historical data has immense benefits for future preservation, access, and analysis.
Efforts to digitize historical documents are underway, but not all materials are currently available in digital form.
AI technology can be used to analyze vast amounts of digitized data, such as changes in language and popularity of words over time.
Handwriting recognition is a major hurdle in digitizing historical data, but AI is already being used for this task and may improve in the future.
The decline of cursive handwriting and the rise of speech recognition technology may eventually render handwriting obsolete.
It is important to remember that some people may choose not to learn traditional writing skills in the future, and this should be considered in education and accessibility efforts. Future generations may not know how to write by hand, as speech recognition and other technological advancements make writing less necessary.
The current global literacy rate is around 86%, but this has fluctuated throughout history, we are at the highest it’s ever been. It was only 12% merely 200 years ago.
The decline of traditional writing skills may define the upcoming era, but it is unlikely that these skills will completely disappear.
BONUS: Digitization is just as important as maintaining and updating our current knowledge in physical form using older technology, especially pen and paper.
Links to resources and/or sources can be found by clicking on underlined sentences.