 AI in Genealogy: Using Gemini OCR and HTR Transcriptions for Death Certificates I am still in the process of testing out and using various AI platforms for different tasks, as some work out for certain tasks better than others, in my genealogical world. I recently tested out generating transcriptions, extracts, and abstracts, using OCR and HTR for historical documents, from my family history, in Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. My preferred platform is ChatGPT, but I need to use Copilot and Gemini for images, if I want to go about it the free way. So far, I have tested out historical photos, which you can check out in, "AI in Genealogy: Microsoft Copilot for Historical Photo Descriptions!", transcribing obituaries, which you can read about in, "AI in Genealogy: Copilot and Gemini OCR for Obituary Transcriptions and Anaysis!", and parish records, that you'll find for information about in, "AI & Genealogy: Gemini HTR for Parish Record Transcription and Analysis!". Some will not work in Copilot but work in Gemini and Vice Versa, while some just don’t work at all. Some also turn out better than others, while some just make me laugh. It’s a hit and miss. Of course, nothing is perfect, but I’m sure it will get better as time goes by. Check out a few of the results below for using AI to transcribe and/or analyze genealogical records, such as death certificates, and see how you can use AI in your genealogy! Death Certificate Transcribed with Google Gemini Below is an example of a Gemini Transcription, using OCR and HTR, of my 2nd great grandfather’s death certificate. I’d say it did pretty darn well, with only a few hiccups, highlighted in yellow. Take a look! *Note: If you click on the images, it zooms in. 😉
I know, not very useful at this point in time, but just think of the OCR and HTR capabilities that will be here in the very near future, making all of our genealogical work a breeze, with endless possibilities! 😉 More Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
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 AI & Genealogy: Gemini HTR for Parish Record Transcription and Analysis! The Free Google Gemini AI Platform performs a good attempt at handwritten text recognition and analysis in genealogical documents, such as parish records! I have been testing and using AI for many things in my genealogical world this past year, along with testing out and using various AI platforms for different tasks, as some work out for certain tasks better than others. I recently tested out generating transcriptions, extracts, and abstracts, using HTR for historical documents, from my family history, in Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. Some will not work in Copilot but work in Gemini and Vice Versa, while some just don’t work at all. Some also turn out better than others, while some just make me laugh. It’s a hit and miss. Of course, nothing is perfect, but I’m sure it will get better as time goes by. OCR is much better than HTR, such as in newspaper articles, which you can read more about in "AI in Genealogy: Copilot and Gemini OCR for Obituary Transcriptions and Analysis!". Check out a few of the results below for using AI to transcribe and/or analyze parish records and see how you can use AI in your genealogy! Google Gemini AI-Powered HTR Parish Record Transcription and Analysis Tests Google Gemini AI-Powered HTR Parish Record Transcription and Analysis Test: Try #3
Not very useful, but I just wanted to test out HTR capabilities with free AI platforms. 😉 More Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
 Ancestry’s New AI Record Explore Feature Explore Ancestry's Records with AI!Ancestry has just come out with a new AI records feature, a few days ago, that allows you to further explore your ancestor’s records, using AI technology, that further enhances your family history experience! Records Available with This Feature (For Now)
How to Get to Ancestry's AI Record Explorer
Currently in BETA ModeThis feature is new and currently in BETA mode, and they have already changed the results that are churned out quite a few times already. The moment this feature popped up, while working on a client’s case, I quickly checked it out on a possible record I was already in the process of viewing, when it just all of the sudden appeared before my eyes. The first AI record exploration I tried had extremely flowery language and made me laugh. It also seemed to add a lot of context that was not based on facts. I quickly went to my own tree and tried it out on a few of my own ancestor’s records. Within minutes, the tone and mood of the results had changed, along with it sticking more to the facts, with context slightly truer to the facts. As of today, it has now changed to pretty much just straight facts, without much of a tone or mood of any kind. I prefer the second change, with a little context and slight tone and mood. Check out the examples below! Update: Within minutes after I gave the “as of today” above, it has changed again. So, I guess you’ll never know what you will get, until they work out all the kinks. 😉 Ancestry AI Record Explorer with WW II Draft Ancestry AI Record Explorer Example 1: WW II Draft Card Ancestry AI Record Explorer with Census Record Ancestry AI Record Explorer Example 2: Census Record  Ancestry AI Record Explorer Example 2-1: Census Record As you can see, from these 4 different versions generated, each at different times, since release, the output keeps changing, but I'm sure they'll find a perfect balance. This is a fantastic, fun addition, and I hope to eventually be able to explore more records with this AI feature! More Ancestry and Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more Ancestry updates, tips, tools, and features and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
 AI in Genealogy: Copilot and Gemini OCR for Obituary Transcriptions and Anaysis! Are you using AI to help generate transcriptions, extracts, or abstracts for and/or understand your genealogical documents? I have been testing and using AI for many things in my genealogical world this past year. I have tested out and used various AI platforms for different tasks, as some work out for certain tasks better than others. I recently tested out generating transcriptions and using OCR for historical documents, from my family history, in Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. Some turned out better than others. It’s a hit and miss. Of course, nothing is perfect, but I’m sure it will get better as time goes by. Check out a few of the results below for using AI to transcribe and/or analyze obituaries and see how you can use AI in your genealogy! Microsoft Copilot AI-Powered OCR Obituary Transcription and Analysis Test- Example (Try #1)Here is an example using AI-Powered OCR for transcription and analysis of an obituary for my 2nd great grandfather, Samuel Steinman. It turned out pretty good, I'd say!
Google Gemini AI-Powered OCR Obituary Transcription and Analysis Test- Example (Multiple Tries)After multiple attempts, with different prompts, Google Gemini was unable to use AI-Powered OCR for transcription and analysis of the same obituary for my 2nd great grandfather, Samuel Steinman. I tried the same prompt as above, just simply "Transcribe", simply "What is this?", and more, to no avail. 
Now, don't think for a moment that Google Gemini is of no use. As I mentioned, I use a combination of different platforms depending on the task, and Google Gemini performs much better in other tasks. More coming soon. More Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
 FamilySearch Updates March 2024: Historical Records Full-Text Search FamilySearch has just added new, experimental products to the FamilySearch Labs, with many using AI! One of these new features is a historical record full-text search, powered by AI, where you may unearth hidden discoveries in historical records that have never been searchable until now! As of now, there are only 2 collections included in the experimental FamilySearch Labs for this feature, U.S. Land and Probate Records and Mexico Notary Records, with more being added soon! Not only does it generate a full-text search, but it also gives you a full transcript, which is downloadable, with the original record! Check out an example below! FamilySearch Full-Text Record Search FamilySearch Historical Records Full-Text Search- Example 1 FamilySearch Full-Text Record Search & Full Record Transcript FamilySearch Historical Records Full-Text Search- Example 1-2 FamilySearch Full-Text Search Record Transcript Download FamilySearch Historical Records Full-Text Search- Example 1-3 If you’d like to try out this or any other experimental features, you must sign up first at: FamilySearch Labs More FamilySearch and other Genealogy ResourcesLearn about other FamilySearch updates and features, along with more family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
 AI in Genealogy: Microsoft Copilot for Historical Photos! Are you using AI to help generate descriptions for your family history photos? I have been testing and using AI for many things in my genealogical world this past year. I have tested out and used various AI platforms for different tasks, as some work out for certain tasks better than others. I recently tested out generating descriptions for historical photos, from my family history, in Microsoft Copilot. Some turned out better than others. Check out a few of the results below and see how you can use AI in your genealogy! AI Historical Photo Descriptions in Genealogy- Example 1
AI Historical Photo Descriptions in Genealogy- Example 2
AI Historical Photo Descriptions in Genealogy- Example 3
More Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
 Harnessing the Power of AI to Help You Write about Your Ancestors The Combined Power of AI and Timelines in Ancestor WritingJust a few days before MyHeritage announced their newest feature, AI Biographer, which you can read about in my post, “New MyHeritage Feature: AI Biographer, Creates Instant Biographies for Your Ancestors!”, I was literally working on a couple of projects that was doing just that, using AI for my biography, as well as for my ancestors’ biographies! I was taking all my own historical facts from my timeline and copying and pasting them in an AI paraphraser tool to create something just like this! At the same time, I was telling myself that it would be cool if either Ancestry or MyHeritage came out with a feature that did exactly what I was doing manually, take everything from your timeline/ancestor’s timeline and create a story or biographical sketch using AI. Who knew that MyHeritage was working on just that behind the curtains, right at the time I was envisioning it! I quickly found that if I create one myself from ancestors in my family tree, using their timeline events, I can create a fairly descent ancestor story/biography. Of course, it wasn’t that quick, and I had to manually tweak the paragraphs then run them through a paraphraser again. Then today, I decided to add some historical context throughout to make it a bit more interesting, taking cues from Ancestry’s new AncestryAI and My Heritage’s new AI Biographer, by using some of the events in my timelines and running them through an AI chat program. I also tweaked those as well. Altogether, I used quite a few different programs to accomplish my final test product. Check out the result below! 😊 My Ancestor Biography, with the Help of AI*This example is all based on my OWN research and taken from my own ancestor timeline, which is filled with facts and events based on my research. I then used AI to help me paraphrase my facts and events.
More AI and Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more AI in Genealogy and other family history and genealogy resources under the AI in Genealogy and Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
12/30/2023 New MyHeritage Feature, AI Biographer, Creates Instant Biographies for Your Ancestors!Read Now New MyHeritage Feature, AI Biographer MyHeritage, the leader in innovative family history tools, has just surprised us with 2 new, groundbreaking features! The first day after Christmas MyHeritage gave to me…AI Record Finder and AI Biographer to enhance my genealogy! MyHeritage AI BiographerMyHeritage is constantly churning out the best state-of-the-art tools and features to enhance, preserve, and share your family history! The all new MyHeritage AI Biographer, a genealogists and/or family historian dream come true, automatically creates a “Wikipedia-style” biography of your ancestor’s life, utilizing details from matching historical records and family tree profiles, using AI technology! Enhance your family history and genealogy experience by Instantly creating beautiful biographies with historical context to pass down through the generations! This came at the perfect time for me! What had I literally been doing the few days before this was announced to me? I was taking all my own historical facts from my timeline and copying and pasting them in an AI rephraser tool to create something just like this! At the same time, I was telling myself that it would be cool if either Ancestry or MyHeritage came out with a feature that did exactly what I was doing manually, take everything from your timeline/ancestor’s timeline and create a story or biographical sketch using AI. Who knew that MyHeritage was working on just that behind the curtains, right at the time I was envisioning it! What’s Included in the AI Biography
AI Biographer Uses
How to Get to AI Biographer
 How to Get to MyHeritage AI Biographer Current Limitations
As you can see from the images below, it also pulled info from another family tree (the FamilySearch Collaborative World Tree of all things 😉), showing some incorrect info. My 2nd great grandfather did not have a child named Everett Waldo; my great grandfather, Edmond Cole (already listed) had changed his name, in his later years, to this. Right after I saw this, I went in and removed the Everett Waldo from the FamilySearch Collaboative World Tree, but who knows when someone else will add it again.😉 I HOPE MyHeritage creates an option to just pull from your own tree, while also pulling info from the web for historical context, then it would be a true dream come true. 😉
Try It for FREEThere is currently an unspecified number of free biographies for anyone who wants to try out this new groundbreaking feature! So, give it a try at: MyHeritage (currently they do not have a try button as with other new features in the past, so not sure how you try for free). More MyHeritage, AI, and Other Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more MyHeritage, AI in Genealogy, and other family history and genealogy resources under the MyHeritage, AI in Genealogy, Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
 Ancestry's New AI Family Tree and DNA Features Ancestry's New AI Features for Your Family Tree and DNA Ancestry seems to be on a major roll right now, consistently churning out new features one on top of the other! They have just released 2 new AI features to enhance your family history and genealogy, 1 for your family tree, and one for your DNA! These new features are in BETA mode, which means not all may have it; they could tweak it, add to it, delete some of the questions or features; or they may decide to delete it all together. AI to Enhance Your Ancestor’s StoryLearn about your ancestor in a fun, engaging, and educational way with the new AI feature for your family tree! With the new feature, you can learn about birth, marriage, death, and residence events during your ancestors’ lives. Categories and Questions:
AI Ancestor Birth Questions Samples
AI Ancestor Marriage Questions Samples
AI Ancestor Death Questions Samples
AI Ancestor Residence Questions Examples
How to get to AncestryAI for Your Ancestor
 How to Get to AncestryAI Feature for Your Family Tree *Note: Be careful using this info in a story, as some of the information is general for the area and not the specific period or vice versa. 😉 AI to Enhance Your DNA Story You can also learn about your estimated ethnic regions in a fun, engaging, and educational way with the new AI feature for your AncestryDNA! With this new feature, you can learn about daily life, common foods, notable historical figures, climate and geography, population movements, population, the people, and family life in each of your estimated ethnic regions! Categories and Questions:
How to Get to AncestryAI in AncestryDNA
 How to Get to AncestryDNA's AncestryAI Feature Go in and see if you have these 2 new AI features; if you do, then have fun with it! More Ancestry, AI, and Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more Ancestry updates, tips, tools, and features; AI in genealogy, and other family history and genealogy resources under the Ancestry.com, AI in Genealogy, and Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.  |
Know Who Wears the Genes in Your Family: Family History and Genealogy BlogI hope my family history and genealogy blog on genealogy research tips, resources, events, and more, along with my own genealogy journeys, will help you in your research and in building your family tree to learn more about your ancestors and family history to preserve for future generations to come! Categories
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