A Pragmatic Guide to AI in Humanities
Documentation-Oriented AI Research Workflows
"It's not that we didn't think of letting AI operate computers — it just wasn't smart enough before. Now it is."
What This Guide Is
This is a pragmatic guide — every article is a hands-on task you can follow along with.
We won't spend much time on theory. Instead, you'll learn by doing:
| Task | What you'll learn |
|---|---|
| Grammar Check | Let AI proofread your writing directly |
| Track Changes | See exactly what AI modified using Git |
| Entity Extraction | Pull structured data from historical texts |
| PDF Annotations | Extract highlights and notes automatically |
| Knowledge Base | Query your own research materials |
Each task introduces concepts along the way. For deeper understanding, explore the reference sections.
How This Guide Is Organized
| Section | What's there |
|---|---|
| Paradigms | The big picture — why AI changes everything |
| Coding Tools | Terminal, editors, and other essentials |
| Formats | Markdown and other document formats |
| Versioning | Git and tracking changes |
| Talking to AI | Prompting, agents, and instruction patterns |
| Tasks | Hands-on tutorials |
| Glossary | Quick definitions |
Start with a task, then dive into reference sections as needed.
Why This Guide Exists
Around fall 2024, something changed in how people work with AI.
Before: AI was a chat box. You copied text in, waited for a response, then copied the answer back out. You did most of the work; AI just gave you answers.
After: AI crossed the intelligence threshold. Modern models can now read your files, edit documents, run commands, and follow complex instructions.
You supervise; AI does most of the work.
This is the paradigm shift we're responding to. The old "copy-paste-wait" workflow is obsolete. This guide teaches the new way.
Who This Is For
Humanities scholars — historians, literary critics, philosophers — who are ready to move beyond basic "Chat with PDF" use cases.
You do not need to:
- Be a programmer
- Know Python (though you might learn some)
- Have prior experience with AI tools
You do need:
- A willingness to try new tools
- Curiosity about how things work
- About 30 minutes per article to follow along
Getting Started
- Read The Paradigm Shift — understand what changed
- Set up your Terminal — ~10 minutes
- Start the Grammar Check task — your first hands-on experience
What You'll Need
- A computer (Mac, Windows, or Linux)
- An internet connection
- A text editor (we'll recommend one)
- An AI subscription (Claude Pro recommended, ~$20/month)
We'll walk you through setting everything up.
This guide is part of the Lingnan Lab Digital History project.