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How exposed to AI is a Historian?

Of the 21 tasks O*NET lists for historians, 7 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 7 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
Collections SpecialistCounty HistorianHistorianHistoric Architectural Resources CuratorHistoric InterpreterHistoric Preservation CoordinatorHistoric Sites RegistrarHistorical InterpreterResearch HistorianResearcher
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
21
tasks rated for this occupation
81%
hold a degree, from a survey of 25
3k
people do this job in the US
37 of 60
least protected in science

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Reachable with a chat window today

7
  • Present historical accounts in terms of individuals or social, ethnic, political, economic, or geographic groupings
  • Recommend actions related to historical art, such as which items to add to a collection or which items to display in an exhibit
  • Determine which topics to research, or pursue research topics specified by clients or employers
  • Prepare publications and exhibits, or review those prepared by others, to ensure their historical accuracy
  • Organize information for publication and for other means of dissemination, such as via storage media or the Internet
  • Edit historical society publications
  • Translate or request translation of reference materials

Only with software built on top

7
  • Conduct historical research as a basis for the identification, conservation, and reconstruction of historic places and materials
  • Research and prepare manuscripts in support of public programming and the development of exhibits at historic sites, museums, libraries, and archives
  • Organize data, and analyze and interpret its authenticity and relative significance
  • Research the history of a particular country or region, or of a specific time period
  • Conduct historical research, and publish or present findings and theories
  • Trace historical development in a particular field, such as social, cultural, political, or diplomatic history
  • Collect detailed information on individuals for use in biographies

Cannot be sped up

7
  • Conserve and preserve manuscripts, records, and other artifacts
  • Gather historical data from sources such as archives, court records, diaries, news files, and photographs, as well as from books, pamphlets, and periodicals
  • Speak to various groups, organizations, and clubs to promote the aims and activities of historical societies
  • Advise or consult with individuals and institutions regarding issues such as the historical authenticity of materials or the customs of a specific historical period
  • Interview people to gather information about historical events and to record oral histories
  • Coordinate activities of workers engaged in cataloging and filing materials
  • Teach and conduct research in colleges, universities, museums, and other research agencies and schools
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.