In this episode of the Unofficial Office Hours podcast, host Justin Hodgson, joined by co-host Remi Kalir, sits down with historian Alex Lichtenstein for a deep dive into the craft of historical practice in the age of generative AI. Rather than asking abstract questions about technology, the conversation begins with something more fundamental: What does a historian actually do? Where does interpretation happen? When does writing become thinking? And how might AI tools alter—or illuminate—those processes?

Alex describes himself as a “skeptical evangelist” of AI—deeply cautious about its risks, yet committed to engaging it thoughtfully. Together, the trio explores how generative AI intersects with archival research, authorship, interpretation, and power. They consider how historians are responding to AI within departments and across the field, and what it might mean for the future of historical scholarship and teaching.

A reflective and probing conversation about discipline, judgment, and what it means to practice history responsibly in an era of rapidly evolving AI tools.