AI as a Civil War Research Tool
Originally published August 2023 · pp. 18
AI as a Civil War Research Tool This writer admits he can not explain all the workings of the latest buzz in the tech world: ChatGPT, OpenAI, etc. However, one recently developed tool can assist Civil War researchers in locating information found within books on their shelves or at public libraries. Talpa searches sources as described on their website: https://www.talpa.ai. Developers
offered the following details on how AI can comb through books using various search phrases. “Talpa uses AI technology in two ways: First, Talpa queries large language models from Anthropic and OpenAI for books and other media, validating every item against true and authoritative bibliographic data. Second, Talpa uses the natural-language abilities of large language models to parse and understand queries, which are then answered with
traditional library data. So, for example, a search for ‘novels about World War II in France’ taps into subjects, tags, and character data from LibraryThing.” Take a few minutes to read the instructions on using this tool at the website mentioned above. Let us put bots to work on Major General William T. Sherman and the Atlanta Campaign! As shown in the image at the bottom, a search using the phrase ‘General William T. Sherman supplies for the Atlanta Campaign’ netted multiple sources containing pertinent information. Developers note this tool remains in the developmental stage, so do not expect perfect results. Using various search terms, this writer has already benefited from timesavings in locating specific topics under study. Clicking on any of the sources located will not take one to the book or any particular pages within the text; instead, this AI tool simply serves as a quickfind aide for locating key words and phrases. The Talpa tool currently connects to the Mid-Hudson Library System (NY) database, so remember to use https://www. worldcat.org to find books in a local library. Try using various search phrases with Talpa while researching the American Civil War! Michael K. Shaffer is a Civil War historian, author, lecturer, and instructor who remains a member of the Society of Civil War Historians, Historians of the Civil War Western Theater, and the Georgia Association of Historians. Readers may contact him at mkscdr11@gmail.com or request speaking engagements at www.civilwarhistorian. net. Follow Michael on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ michael.k.shaffer, and Twitter @ michaelkshaffer.
Photographs from the Original Article
Captions and credits appear in the article text as originally printed.