Archive Fever & AI

Archive Fever & AI A gathering on generative AI, archival practice, and found text Archives have constructed the extensive language models that are now transforming how the past is interpreted, and generative AI is consequently altering how archives themselves are created, accessed, and utilized. This one-day gathering unites scholars, artists, poets, and archivists who work at the intersection of generative AI and archival humanities to pose the question: who establishes the infrastructure, who governs access, what is preserved, and what is lost or irrevocably changed in the process? The day features two moderated panel discussions and concludes with a live sound performance by artist Victoria Keddie, inspired by archival and transmission-based material. Schedule — Saturday, November 7, 2026 9:30–9:45 am — Welcome and announcements 9:45 am–12:15 pm — Session 1, The Archive Under Pressure 1:45–4:15 pm — Session 2, Found Text as Method 4:15–4:30 pm — Break 4:30–5:30 pm — Sound performance, Victoria Keddie Session 1 — The Archive Under Pressure Tom Lippincott, Richard Marciano, Maria Antoniak, and George Oates discuss the methodological and ethical implications of applying machine learning to historical collections — what is gained, what is lost, and who makes the decisions. Moderated by Kyle Stine. Session 2 — Found Text as Method Lillian-Yvonne Bertram, Eryk Salvaggio, Mark Shepard, and Victoria Keddie explore the use of AI tools to reveal archival and found voices rather than replace them — work that treats the output of the machine, and its noise, as raw material for creation and inquiry. Moderated by Liz Flyntz. Participants Maria Antoniak — Computer Science, University of Colorado Boulder Lillian-Yvonne Bertram — English, University of Maryland Victoria Keddie — Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania Tom Lippincott — Center for Digital Humanities, Johns Hopkins University Richard Marciano — College of Information, University of Maryland George Oates — Deep Keep / Flickr.org Eryk Salvaggio — Cambridge Digital Humanities, University of Cambridge Mark Shepard — Architecture and Media Study, University at Buffalo Location Parkway Theatre5 West North Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201 Hosted by the Film and Media Studies Program, Johns Hopkins UniversityFunded by the JHU Sesquicentennial Awards Program, Envisioning the Future Award