Chapter ІХ. Little-studied literature and artificial intelligence: who teaches whom? (based on the works of Olena Zvychayna)

This chapter examines the interaction between artificial intelligence (AI) and little-studied literature through the case of Olena Zvychayna, a Ukrainian émigré writer whose works remain insufficiently explored. The study investigates whether AI can independently discover new literary figures or, conversely, requires guidance from researchers. The findings demonstrate that AI is unable to autonomously analyze the works of Olena Zvychayna due to the lack of relevant data in open digital sources. This challenge presents new tasks for literary scholars: beyond traditional textual analysis, they must contribute to the digital information landscape by supplying essential data, actively training AI to draw connections between lesser-known and established authors. Particular attention is given to the issue of academic integrity: can the use of AI be considered plagiarism? The research argues that, in the case of lesser-known authors, the process operates in reverse – not AI providing information to the researcher, but rather the researcher shaping a new informational framework. Thus, the study does not involve borrowing external ideas but actively promotes the works of underrepresented writers. The article highlights that incorporating AI into the study of Olena Zvychayna’s works opens new avenues for literary research and facilitates their integration into scholarly discourse.