Chaucer in the age of AI: critical and collaborative translation in digital medieval studies

Little is known about AI’s ability to generate and interpret issues of the distant past, especially as the topic of medieval public life is not a priority when producing new AI technologies. Yet there is recent hype around university students using generative AI to produce responses that might guide them in their degree programme. This case study analyses qualitative data from current students and teachers working on medieval history, language and literature, to understand the pedagogical principles guiding translations of works from the Middle Ages, and whether LLMs assist or hinder this process. It also discusses the development of an educational prototype interface of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Pardoner’s Prologue and Tale, and provides critical suggestions for the use of generative AI to investigate medieval texts, following the work of the AHRC/IRC-funded project C21 Editions. The paper concludes that the following endeavours must be accommodated in higher education contexts if generative AI is to be used for the study of Chaucer’s texts, themes and role in the literary canon: a) sufficient space to critically engage with and raise issues related to new technologies in the (digital) classroom; b) explorations of the evolving concepts and topics in Chaucer studies, discussing issues of sociohistorical injustice and marginalisation; and c) opportunities to bring together teaching and learning community insights via regular classroom-based activities. Such activities should incorporate discussion of LLMs’ ethical concerns and possibilities for increased collaboration and creativity during the process of producing accessible modern English translations.