In a recent address about AI and the law, the Master of the Rolls, Sir Geoffrey Vos, spoke of a “human prerogative”—the idea that while machines can calculate and draft, there are certain decisions and truths that must remain firmly in human hands.
At Soulton Hall, we find ourselves involved in this exact tension.
We are custodians of a “coded” heritage that demands transparency and precision.
Yet, we are a small team.
Our hands are often in the soil of the farm or the dust of the archives, and our time is a finite, precious resource.
The Ashton family outside Soulton Hall
1. Transparency as Heritage
Sir Geoffrey noted that lawyers must embrace AI because “those we serve are using it.”
At Soulton, we believe the same applies to our heritage in the current moment.
To keep the history of Sir Rowland Hill and the “Tudor Rebel Alliance” alive, we must speak to the modern world in its own language.
However, transparency is our foundation.
Just as the Master of the Rolls insists that lawyers remain 100% responsible for their output, we believe the same of our stories.
“We should not be using silly examples of bad practice as a reason to shun the entirety of a new technology.” — Sir Geoffrey Vos
2. Overcoming the “Clumsy” Pen
For Tim, the challenge is personal. Dyslexia can make the written word feel like a barrier—a “clumsy” or “poorly spelt” gatekeeper between a profound historical insight and the public.
In this context, AI is not a ghostwriter; it is an adaptive interface.
By dictating thoughts, research, and passions into an AI, Tim is able to bypass the mechanical struggle of spelling and syntax to reach the “human prerogative” of the story.
The AI acts as the stonemason’s chisel—a tool that helps shape the raw material, but the design and the “soul” of the work remain human.
3. The Soulton Standard for AI Usage
Inspired by the Judicial Guidance mentioned by Sir Geoffrey, we are adopting our own protocol for “The New News” and our heritage blogs:
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Dictation, not Delegation: Our content begins with human voice and human research. We use AI to transcribe and organize, but the “intent” is never generated by a machine.
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The Responsibility of the Custodian: Every word is reviewed. We acknowledge that AI can “hallucinate” (much like the “fictitious cases” Sir Geoffrey warned about). We check our citations against the physical reality of Soulton’s stones and the verified archives of the family.
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Directness: We will be open about this process. Using AI to overcome dyslexia and time constraints must not be hiden; it is a way to ensure that heritage remains accessible when resources are lean. In a btter eorld there are more people here to help and some day we will get there.
4. Protecting the “Emotive” Decision
Sir Geoffrey concluded his speech by asking which decisions we are “content to be taken by machines.”
At Soulton, we have decided that interpretation is a human prerogative.
A machine can summarize a deed, but it cannot feel the “dawn Easter light” in the Aedicule Room or understand the weight of a 500-year-old secret. We use AI to help us communicate, but never to feel.
5. Stewardship and the Digital Footprint
As we tend to the Shropshire soil, we must also consider the “soil” of the digital world.
We are mindful that AI and large-scale computing carry a significant environmental cost in energy and water usage.
Our use of these tools is guided by a hope for a more elegant future—one where computing becomes as efficient as it is powerful.
We look forward to a generation of technology that requires less to do more, allowing us to preserve our history without compromising the natural world. Just as we practice sustainable farming, we aim for “sustainable storytelling,” using these digital tools with intention rather than excess.
A Note to Our Readers When you read these blogs, you are reading Tim’s voice, refined by technology to ensure clarity. We believe that by being “adept at understanding the capabilities and weaknesses” of these tools—as the Master of the Rolls suggests—we are better able to serve the long, complex history of Soulton Hall.
AI image. Image via www.vpnsrus.com
AI image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/152824664@N07/44405376514/, Author mikemacmarketing
