CMU & MHS Launch Ethical AI Chatbot for Manitoba History

Canadian Mennonite University is launching a new research project to make Manitoba history more accessible. They are building an ethically designed AI chatbot using local archives and infrastructure. Tim Rogalsky, a computational mathematician at CMU, says the project aims to connect Manitobans with the province’s stories, people, and places. The chatbot, named Insight, will use over 10,000 historical archives from the Manitoba Historical Society. This information is currently difficult to access online. Insight will answer user questions directly from these archives, avoiding broad internet sources. Rogalsky notes this project comes as people are increasingly disconnected from older generations and local stories. What's interesting is this project also addresses ethical and environmental concerns about AI. The chatbot will operate on local servers at CMU, using existing infrastructure. This means no additional cooling systems are needed, keeping electricity use relatively small. This approach helps avoid misinformation and makes local history readily available to everyone.