Don't Panic

A Hitchhiker's Guide to AI for the Humanities

A practical, independent guide for humanities scholars navigating artificial intelligence.

Welcome

This is a practical guide to using AI tools in humanities research, teaching, and administration. It is intended for scholars -- with or without prior technical experience -- who want to understand the applications and implications of using these technologies in academia.

It is laid out a bit like a travel guide - you do not need to read it from start to finish. Some people start with one of the platform guides and go from there. If you are entirely new to AI tools, the Primer will give you a foundation. If you already know the basics and want to work well, the Essentials apply across all platforms.

For a fuller overview of how the guide is organised and suggested reading paths, see How to use this guide.

30–60 min

🗺️ I'm new to AI

Start with the Primer. What LLMs are, what they aren't, whether to care, and a 15-minute exercise you can try right now.

Pick your platform

🧭 I need to use a specific tool

Platform manuals for Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and open-weights models. Practical, operational, task-first.

2–4 hrs per exercise

🎒 I want to learn by doing

Ten structured experiments of increasing complexity. Designed for humanities academics. No coding required for the first five.

Browse the guide

The Primer — Before You Go

• Briefing — What LLMs are and aren't
• Getting Started — A 15-minute exercise
• Mindset — How to think about these tools
• Use Cases — Practical tasks by time
• Agentic AI — Autonomous tools
• FAQ — Common anxieties answered

Essentials — Practical Information

• Verification & Citation
• Data Governance
• Prompting Principles
• Disclosure & Ethics
• Multi-Model Strategy
• Decision Sheet — One-page printable

Field Guides

• Overview — By activity and discipline
• Translation & Language
• Close Reading & Textual Analysis
• Images, Objects & Visual Evidence
• Archives & Manuscripts
• Teaching & Assessment

Platform Guides

• How to Choose — Decision guide
• Claude
• ChatGPT
• Microsoft Copilot (coming)
• Gemini
• Open-Weights Models (coming)

Training & Practice

• AI Basecamp — Ten structured experiments
• Resources — Curated reading list
• Glossary — AI terminology, jargon-free

📬 Stay informed

Low-frequency updates when new guides, manuals, or exercises are published. No spam, no newsletter — just notifications.

Mailing list signup coming soon via Buttondown.

Workshops & consultancy

I run hands-on workshops on AI for humanities departments, libraries, and learned societies. Get in touch if your institution is interested.

Fancy joining the expedition?

This guide is open source and maintained in the open. If you're interested in contributing, let's have a conversation about how you might help.