AI Decodes Ancient History: The Herculaneum Scrolls

Innovations in artificial intelligence are not only changing the present, they’re also revolutionizing the study of history. In this episode, an expert panel shares their groundbreaking work deciphering the Herculaneum scrolls, which were burned in the same volcanic eruption that destroyed nearby Pompeii and were thought to have been lost forever.

The panel included:

Nat Friedman, investor and entrepreneur who co-launched the Vesuvius Challenge

Federica Nicolardi, assistant professor of papyrology at the University of Naples Federico II

Brent Seales, the Stanley and Karen Pigman Chair of Heritage Science and professor of computer science at the University of Kentucky.

CHM Senior Producer and Manager of Programming Russell Ihrig moderated.

The program was made possible by the generous support of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation.

This conversation was recorded on June 10, 2025 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, as a part of the CHM Live series. To watch a video of this program, please visit the Computer History Museum's YouTube channel.

To learn more about the Computer History Museum and our upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org