Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming genealogy by streamlining research, enhancing records, and uncovering new insights. Whether you're a seasoned genealogist or just starting your journey, my top tips will help you use AI tools effectively while maintaining accuracy and ethical practices. 1. Set Clear Goals and Choose the Right Tools Begin with a clear plan for what you want AI to accomplish. Are you transcribing handwritten records, enhancing old photos, or translating documents? Match the right AI tools to each task. For example, Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software can extract text from handwritten records, while translation tools like DeepL or Google Translate can help decode foreign-language documents. 2. Provide Specific and Detailed Prompts When using AI, such as chatbots, be precise with your instructions. Detailed (and detailed does not mean long) prompts yield more useful results. For instance, instead of asking, “What can you tell me about this ancestor?” try, “Summarize this letter, highlighting all names, dates, and relationships mentioned.” Action-oriented prompts like this guide AI to produce tailored answers. 3. Ensure High-Quality Data AI works best when provided with clean and accurate input. Use high-resolution scans for images, clear transcriptions for text, and reliable records, or better yet, your own research. For example, ensure newspaper clippings or historical documents are scanned without blurriness or distortions to allow AI tools to extract accurate details. Better input guarantees better output. 4. Understand AI’s Capabilities and Limitations While AI excels at tasks like transcription, summarization, and translation, it has limitations. AI may misinterpret historical nuances or fail to provide context. For example, AI-translated documents might still require manual verification by a language expert. Treat AI outputs as drafts that need your expertise to refine. 5. Prioritize Privacy and Ethics Safeguard personal data and avoid sharing sensitive information online. Always verify the privacy policies of AI tools before use. For example, avoid uploading living relatives’ data to unsecured platforms for analysis. Protecting privacy ensures your research remains ethical and secure. 6. Evaluate and Verify Outputs AI is not infallible, so cross-check its suggestions against primary sources and reliable records. For instance, if AI summarizes a historical letter, double-check the summary against the original text to ensure no important details are missed, or if AI-generated dates or locations seem unusual, consult additional records or historical references to verify their accuracy. AI’s output should be validated through further investigation; hence treat AI's suggestions as a guide for further research. 7. Leverage AI for Time-Saving Tasks Automate repetitive tasks to save time for deeper research. Use AI to extract names, dates, and places from records, or enhance old photos for readability. For example, tools like Transkribus can transcribe handwritten letters, freeing you to focus on analysis. 8. Experiment and Stay Creative Think beyond traditional uses of AI in genealogy. Use tools to map ancestors' travels based on historical data or even create stories or poems inspired by family history. Experimentation can uncover unexpected insights and bring creativity to your research. 9. Stay Updated and Personalize Your Experience AI technology evolves rapidly, so stay informed about the latest tools. Customize your interactions with AI to suit your research style. For instance, save frequently used prompts for tasks like generating timelines or creating story summaries, as well as personalizing it with the “Customize” settings to introduce yourself and using any “Memory” features it has. Tailoring AI use to your needs enhances its effectiveness. 10. Foster Continuity and Treat AI as a Partner Keep related tasks in the same AI session to maintain continuity and context. For example, after AI transcribes a document, ask it to summarize key points within the same session. Treat AI as a collaborative tool that complements your expertise, not as a replacement for your skills. Also, treat a chatbot as a friend that you are having a friendly chat with, not as a search engine. After all, the main component in the word chatbot, is Chat. Final Thoughts AI is a powerful ally in genealogy when used thoughtfully. By combining its capabilities with your expertise, you can uncover new insights and save time while preserving the integrity of your research. Start small, stay curious, and let AI enhance your genealogical journey. Are you ready to dive into the world of AI-assisted genealogy? Share your experiences and favorite tools in the comments! 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. P.S.Stay on the lookout for the presentation that complements this post and dives deeper!
10 Comments
1/27/2025 09:10:24 am
Thanks for the information! i have used some of this already. I don't know that I fully really to jump in though. Some of it is creepy. LOL ~Jan.
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1/31/2025 06:35:58 am
You are so welcome. I'm glad that you found it useful and are using these suggestions. Once you see the potential, I'm sure you'll "jump in". :)
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Karen McPherson
1/27/2025 09:13:23 am
I have begun to explore the use of AI for all of my research, including genealogy. I am finding it most useful for routine tasks and for outlining an approach to a project; I don't rely on it for accuracy, however, because I have found it makes stuff up if it can't find the answer. I asked it one time if it was making stuff up, and the response was "you caught me." Fun but a bit troubling.
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1/31/2025 06:41:19 am
Remember...AI is NOT to be used as a search engine or to do your research for you. You NEED to feed it the info. Good Input=Good Output. I have only once had an issue with it "hallucinating" and that was for testing purposes only. tell it what you want to do and feed it the info. ;)
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1/27/2025 01:16:03 pm
Great tips. It's amazing to see where we have already gotten in such a short time.
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1/31/2025 06:43:00 am
Yes, it is. Glad you like these tips. Thanks for reading. :)
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Lynnette Bates
2/1/2025 02:58:21 pm
Thank you for this list of AI tips. I have just started to experiment with some of the Chatbots. I am most interested in which tool works best for transcribing hand written letters. So far, no clear winner!
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Lisa S. Gorrell
2/2/2025 09:39:51 pm
It's hard to stay up-to-date when stuff changes so quickly. Great tips!
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