Call for Papers

AI4AS (AI for Ancient Studies) invites contributions that critically examine the opportunities and risks that generative Artificial Intelligence introduces into the study, interpretation, and dissemination of ancient non-alphabetic languages. The 2026 edition of AI4AS focuses on engagement and fragility and is part of the ADHO DH2026 conference, which will take place 27-31 July.

Important Dates

• Abstract submission deadline: 7 April 2026
• Notification of acceptance: 15 April 2026
• Camera-ready abstract due: 20 April 2026
• Main DH conference: 27-31 July 2026

Note: the submission deadline is at 11:59 pm AoE (Anywhere on Earth) time.

Contributions

AI4AS 2026 gathers experts across diverse ancient-language traditions to highlight structural vulnerabilities shared across fields, while remaining attentive to cultural and linguistic specificity, and to build a shared understanding of responsible AI adoption within Ancient World Studies. Through a series of presentations, collaborative discussions, and brainstorming sessions, it aims to:

• Develop a clearer understanding of the methodological vulnerabilities of low-resourced ancient-language corpora in AI contexts.
• Foster field-specific awareness of how LLMs may distort primary and secondary sources.
• Identify strategies for balancing accessibility with rigor in teaching, research dissemination, and public outreach.
• Produce a collaboratively authored set of responsible use guidelines to support transparent, critical, and disciplined engagement with AI in ancient languages.

Contributions are expected to address the following questions from the perspective of their research domains:

• How can scholars promote accessibility without compromising methodological principles?
• How can emerging technologies support, rather than erode, the interpretive traditions of philology, epigraphy, and historical linguistics?
• Can multilingual scholarly communities collaborate to set discipline-specific boundaries and best practices?
• What forms of digital literacy are necessary for researchers, educators, and students to engage responsibly with AI?

Submission Guidelines

We invite abstracts of max 500 words in English. All proposals must be submitted in PDF format to ai4asconference@gmail.com with [AI4AS2026] in the subject line.

Review Process

Reviewers will evaluate papers based on their significance, originality, rigor, and contribution to the field. Papers that are out of scope, incomplete, or lack sufficient evidence to support the basic claims, may be rejected.

Camera Ready and Publication

Camera-ready versions of accepted abstracts will be published on the conference website.

We are exploring the possibility of publishing full papers after the conference as a special issue in a journal or as an edited volume.

Registration fees

Selected contributors will be required to register for DH2026 (27–31 July 2026, Daejeon, South Korea) via their ConfTool account in order to confirm participation: https://www.conftool.pro/dh2026/index.php?page=participate Early bird registration will be available until 18 May 2026, after which standard registration will open on 19 May. For detailed information on registration fees and categories, please consult: https://dh2026.adho.org/conference-registration/

Before the Conference…

To start brainstorming on the challenges and… of the use of AI within the represented fields, selected contributors will be asked to contribute their thoughts and observations in a shared document to be defined.

Contact

For any questions, please contact the AI4AS2026 Organizing Committee:

• Chiara Salvador, University of Montpellier Paul-Valery (chiara-elena (dot) salvador (at) umpv (dot) fr)
• Angelica Lo Duca, National Research Council, Italy (angelica (dot) loduca (at) iit (dot) cnr (dot) it)

Note that the symbols ‘@’ and ‘.’ are written out to prevent spam bots; please replace them with the proper symbols when submitting.