Scholars from across the U.S. recently joined Montana State University faculty, students, staff and members of the public for a two-day symposium focusing on “The Future of Research in the Age of AI.”

The event held March 27-28 was one of three major symposia in 2025 sponsored by the American Historical Association on topics pertaining to large-scale research. William Thomas, professor of history, dean of MSU’s College of Letters and Science and vice president of AHA’s research division, facilitated the symposium at MSU, which is actively engaged in leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to benefit students and university researchers.

“This conference was inspiring in several ways,” Thomas said. “First, we hosted some of the leading historians and researchers in the U.S., and they demonstrated showcase projects for how AI and machine learning are already transforming large-scale research.”