Searching and Understanding: Are Language Models Reshaping the Humanities?

In winter 2026, Jean-Philippe Magué, visiting researcher at CRIHN, will organize a lecture series on LLMs (large language models) featuring four invited speakers.

The third session, “Searching and Understanding: Are Language Models Reshaping the Humanities?”, will take place on Monday, March 9, 2026, from 3:30 to 5:00 PM (Montreal time), with the participation of Marcello Vitali-Rosati in a hybrid format.

Session description:

The introduction of LLMs into the digital humanities is redefining the boundaries between reading, analysis, and interpretation. These tools enable new ways of querying and exploring corpora, but they also reshape interpretive practices and criteria of validity. This talk will examine how this technological shift requires methodological and epistemological repositioning for researchers in the humanities.

The event will be followed by a lecture-performance by interdisciplinary artist Morgane Baffier and a wine-and-cheese reception.