Columbia University's History Lab Unveils Revolutionary AI-Powered Archive of 5 Million Declassified Documents

First conversational AI interface for exploring decades of CIA, State Department, and
intelligence records launches at Federal Depository Library Conference

September 29, 2025

Columbia University's History Lab today announced the public launch of History Lab AI, the world's largest AI-powered archive of declassified government documents, unveiled this afternoon at the Federal Depository Library Conference. The groundbreaking platform enables anyone with internet access to explore over 5 million once-secret records through natural language conversation with an advanced AI assistant.

History Lab, whose work on government secrecy and declassification has been featured in The Washington Post, NPR, and Democracy Now!, has now created a revolutionary interface that transforms how researchers, journalists, students, and the public can access and understand historical government records. Instead of navigating complex keyword searches across scattered databases, users can simply ask questions in plain English about any topic from nuclear weapons to covert operations.

Read the full announcement here.