History does not have to be dry facts and events. AI chatbots can turn units into conversations students want to have.
In this quick guide I share:
• Benefits: engagement, multiple perspectives, clearer context, immersive decision points, personalization
• Best AI tools: Custom GPT, SchoolAI Spaces, Humy AI, and Hello History
• Classroom tips: short interviews with a figure, paired perspective chats, source checks, prompt formula to keep answers concise and cited
• Limitations to watch: hallucinated quotes or dates, bias and one-sided narratives, opaque sources, oversimplification, safety and privacy
Benefits:
Here are some of the main benefits of using AI in your history teaching class:
Engagement
History opens up when students can interview the past. A chatbot lets them question a figure about a turning point, follow up on surprising claims, and compare answers with the textbook. Try a five-minute “ask the general” warm-up, then have students fact-check two chatbot statements with a primary source.
Multiple perspectives
Students can compare what different personas say about the same event and see how perspective shapes interpretation. Have one group chat with a labor leader and another with a factory owner about the same strike, then synthesize convergences and conflicts using short evidence pulls from documents.
Understanding context
Chatbots can help students situate events within broader social, economic, and geographic conditions. Ask for a quick backgrounder on what led up to an event, what happened immediately after, and which groups were affected, then require students to verify those claims with maps, timelines, and two primary sources.
Interactive and immersive learning
Instead of a static lecture, run a guided simulation where students advise a leader during a crisis and observe consequences of different choices. Use branching prompts to explore alternative paths, pause at decision points, and have students justify their recommendations using evidence from class readings.
Personalized learning
Because responses can be tuned, you can adjust reading level, language, and scaffolds for individual learners. Prompt the chatbot to generate tiered hints, vocabulary previews, or extension questions aligned to each student’s needs, then capture the final product in a shared doc so the class keeps a record of sources and checks.
Ways to Use AI Chatbots in
We do not only want to use AI but use it in ethical responsible, and safe ways. Here are some suggestions to help you do that:
1. Engage critically
Treat every chatbot response as a claim to test. Ask students what the bot assumes, who is missing from the narrative, and what evidence would change the answer. Example: after chatting with “Napoleon,” students list two supported claims, one uncertainty, and a question they still need to research.
2. Push arguments
Have the bot present reasons and counterarguments so students learn to weigh evidence. Prompt it to give two reasons for a position and one counterclaim with possible rebuttal. Example: on the causes of the French Revolution, students rate each reason’s strength and add one piece of outside evidence.
3. Compare with textbook information
Use quick side-by-sides. Students copy three statements from the chat and align each with a page number or figure in the textbook or a primary source packet. Mark as supported, partially supported, or not supported, then revise the original chatbot claim in one sentence.
4. Fact-check using credible, non-AI sources
Send students to sources with authors, dates, and citations. Options include your textbook, National Archives document collections, Britannica School, Gale In Context, JSTOR, museum sites, and reputable history journals. Workflow: pick one chatbot claim, identify a keyword set, locate a source, record a citation, and write a one-sentence verdict on accuracy.
AI Tools
When it comes to tools, I’ve kept the list short and focused. Rather than overwhelming you with every chatbot out there, I limited my choices to just a few that I’ve tested myself. These are the ones I’ve found reliable, teacher-friendly, and adaptable for history lessons.
1. Custom GPT in ChatGPT
Use this when you need tight control. Create a Historical Chatbot by uploading short, vetted excerpts from your textbook, primary sources, and museum sites, then write clear instructions for how it should answer and cite. Example prompt to seed it: You are a classroom historian for Grade 8. Answer in 120 words, use simple language, and name one primary source students can check.
2. SchoolAI Spaces
A teacher-controlled chat space that keeps conversations in one place for monitoring and sharing. Set a persona, add guiding questions, and turn on scaffolds like hints or vocabulary previews. Quick use: run a five-minute interview with a historical figure, then export or copy the transcript for a source check.
3. Humy AI
Ready to use with historical personas, good for warm-ups and quick role-plays. Start with a narrow prompt tied to your standard, for example Ask Frederick Douglass two questions about abolition strategies and follow up once. Have students screenshot one claim and verify it in a class source.
4. Hello History
Mobile app option for iOS and Android that works well in stations or BYOD settings. Assign a short chat with a selected figure, require one corroborating reference, and collect a one-sentence accuracy verdict. Tip: ask students to attach a citation from a textbook page, archive document, or museum site.
Limitations
As is the case with any instance when AI is being used in educational settings, there are certain challenges and limitations you need to attend to with your students. Here are some of them:
1. Hallucinations and inaccuracies
Models can invent quotes, dates, or sources. Require students to verify one claim with a primary source or textbook page before using it.
2. Ethical and perspective issues
Simulated figures reflect the norms of their era and may present harmful views as neutral. Pre-teach context and add countervoices from affected groups.
3. Source opacity
Bots rarely show where information comes from. Ask students to attach a proper citation from a non-AI source to each claim they keep.
4. Bias amplification
Default personas and prompts can center dominant narratives. Assign paired chats from contrasting perspectives and compare against primary sources.
5. Oversimplification
Chats can compress complex causes into neat lists. Use a causes-consequences chart and have students add missing factors with evidence.
6. Safety and age appropriateness
Some topics include violence or hate speech. Use school-safe tools, set boundaries, and review transcripts before sharing.
7. Privacy and data
Student inputs may be logged by vendors. Avoid names and identifiers, use school accounts, and follow district policy.
8. Overreliance on the bot
Students may accept answers without analysis. Build routines that demand justification, page numbers, and one counterexample.
9. Time and workflow
Monitoring chats and fact-checking takes time. Use short structures like three-claim checks or five-minute interviews with one verification.
10. Access and equity
Reading levels and device access vary. Lower the reading level on demand, provide printed excerpts, and allow oral responses when needed.
Here is the PDF version of this post:
References
- Warner, J. (2024, June 14). Just say no to historical figure chatbots: Against digital necromancy. Engaged Education. Fact-checking takes time — use short structures like three-claim checks or 5-min interviews.
- Saadioui, Z. (2025, April 14). Bringing historical figures to life with ChatGPT. Arsturn. Fact-checking takes time — use short structures like three-claim checks or 5-min interviews.
- Muncey, N. (2025, August 15). How teachers can use AI chatbots in history class. SchoolAI. Fact-checking takes time — use short structures like three-claim checks or 5-min interviews.
