Ever stared at a mountain of census records, wondering how you’ll find time to analyze them all? Or scratched your head trying to connect DNA matches that seem related but don’t quite fit?
I’ve been there. We all have.
After watching two groundbreaking webinars from Legacy Family Tree Webinars, I’m convinced we’re at the dawn of a new era in genealogy research.
The New Frontier in Family History Research
Legacy Family Tree Webinars has launched something special – a dedicated Members-Only AI series for 2024.
They kicked it off with a bang: a panel discussion featuring six leading experts in genealogy AI, followed by Andrew Redfern’s deep dive into practical AI applications.
Both webinars are available exclusively to Legacy Family Tree Webinar members.
What struck me most? This isn’t theoretical tech talk. These are real genealogists solving actual research problems. They’re showing us practical ways to break through brick walls that have frustrated us for years.
The Dream Team of Genealogy AI
The panel discussion assembled what I’d call the dream team of genealogy AI. We had Andrew Redfern joining from Australia (at 6 AM his time!), bringing his innovative approach to AI applications.
Blaine Bettinger, whose genetic genealogy expertise I’ve followed for years, offered insights from New York.
Diana Elder shared her systematic approach from Utah – and let me tell you, her methodology is something special.
Mark Thompson brought technical expertise from British Columbia, while Steve Little (Virginia) and Thomas MacEntee (Illinois) rounded out this powerhouse panel.
Reality Check: Understanding AI’s Role
During the panel discussion, Blaine Bettinger addressed something I’ve been wondering about – what exactly can AI do for genealogy?
His answer was refreshingly honest. AI won’t magically reveal your great-grandmother’s maiden name or build your entire family tree overnight. That’s not what it’s designed for.
What impressed me most was his point about AI potentially being more useful for beginners than advanced genealogists. This challenges the assumption that AI tools are only for tech-savvy researchers. The key is understanding AI as a powerful assistant rather than a replacement for good genealogical methodology.
Privacy Concerns: Finding Balance
Both webinars tackled the elephant in the room: privacy concerns. Andrew Redfern’s approach in his solo webinar particularly resonated with me.
He demonstrated practical safeguards like using “temporary chats” in ChatGPT and adjusting data-sharing settings. This balanced approach shows we can use AI tools responsibly without compromising our research subjects’ privacy.
Breaking Through Brick Walls: A Real Success Story
Diana Elder’s breakthrough story during the panel discussion had me on the edge of my seat. She was researching Henderson Weatherford (born around 1815 in Tennessee) – exactly the kind of brick wall we all face. She had mountains of tax record data from Dallas County, Texas, spanning 15 years and multiple Weatherford families.
Using Claude’s project feature (something I didn’t even know existed), she analyzed complex patterns in the tax records that would have taken weeks to process manually.
The kicker?
The analysis showed her Henderson Weatherford had no connection to the other Weatherford families in the area – completely contrary to her initial theory. This led her to look in Arkansas instead, potentially uncovering a new family connection.
Practical Applications That Blew My Mind
In his dedicated webinar, Andrew Redfern presented ten practical AI applications that had me frantically taking notes. His biographical writing demonstration was particularly impressive.
He showed how to feed AI your research notes about an ancestor and have it generate a well-organized biography, complete with suggestions for further research.
What I love about his approach is the concept of “thinking small and iterating often.” Instead of trying to solve everything at once, focus on specific tasks.
He demonstrated taking a newspaper obituary and having AI extract all the names, dates, places, and relationships mentioned. Then transform that data into different formats – tables, timelines, or research questions.
Tools for Every Budget
Both webinars emphasized something that made me happy – you don’t need expensive tools to get started.
ChatGPT’s base version is powerful enough for most basic genealogy tasks. For handwritten documents, they recommended Transcribus as a specialized tool. Both experts noted that while paid versions offer additional features, many core functions are available in free versions.
DNA Analysis: A New Approach
Blaine Bettinger’s demonstration during the panel discussion was a highlight for me. His approach to using AI for comparing multiple family trees was revolutionary.
Instead of manually comparing numerous family trees (which I’ve spent countless hours doing), he showed how AI can extract and compare surname information from tree screenshots, helping identify potential common ancestors.
The Power of Connected Tasks
Steve Little introduced something during the panel discussion that I think will change how we use AI tools. He demonstrated ChatGPT’s “mentions” feature, which lets you chain together multiple AI conversations.
Imagine extracting information from a document and automatically generating a research plan based on that information – all in one smooth workflow.
Data Analysis Made Simple
Mark Thompson’s demonstration particularly impressed me. He showed how to use AI to clean up and analyze messy genealogical data – something I struggle with regularly.
His approach to handling inconsistent dates and locations in historical records was brilliant and practical. He demonstrated how AI can help standardize and organize data that would be tedious to process manually.
Systematic Research with AI
Diana Elder’s use of Claude’s project feature fascinated me. She showed how to organize and analyze complex data sets while maintaining genealogical standards.
Her methodical approach to using AI tools while maintaining research integrity is something I plan to emulate in my own research.
Document Analysis Reimagined
Thomas MacEntees’s insights about using AI for document analysis were eye-opening. His approach to using AI for summarizing lengthy genealogical documents and extracting key information showed me new ways to tackle my research pile.
I particularly appreciated his tips on using AI to identify patterns in historical documents.
My Personal Takeaways
After watching both webinars, I’m most excited about several possibilities. First, AI can transform the tedious task of extracting and organizing information, freeing up time for actual analysis and interpretation.
Second, it offers fresh perspectives on data patterns I might have missed.
Finally, it provides new ways to structure and organize research findings.
What’s really exciting is how AI can help with research planning. As Andrew Redfern demonstrated in his webinar, AI can identify gaps in your research and suggest new avenues to explore.
This systematic approach to research planning could help many of us avoid those research rabbit holes we often fall into.
Getting Started: A Practical Path Forward
Having absorbed both webinars, I believe the key is starting small. Pick one document or one research question. Try using ChatGPT to analyze it. Build confidence with simple tasks before moving to more complex applications.
The “Genealogy and Artificial Intelligence” Facebook group mentioned in both webinars seems like an excellent resource for learning and sharing experiences.
With over 8,700 members (as mentioned in Andrew’s webinar), it’s clearly becoming a vibrant community for genealogists exploring AI tools.
Access These Resources
Both webinars are available through Legacy Family Tree Webinars with a membership subscription.
The panel discussion and Andrew Redfern’s practical applications webinar are part of their new AI for Genealogists series, exclusively for members. Given how rapidly AI technology is evolving and its growing applications in genealogy research, this series promises to be an invaluable resource for family historians looking to enhance their research capabilities.
Your ancestors’ stories are waiting to be discovered. Maybe AI is the key to unlocking them. I, for one, can’t wait to see what discoveries await. With these new tools and techniques at our disposal, the future of genealogy research looks brighter than ever.
The webinars sound interesting. However, I need written materials I seldom watch videos because listening to someone talk puts me to sleep or my mind just wanders off to other things. I am also skeptical about AI because my experiences so far have not been encouraging. It is after all Artificial and from what I have seen not very Intelligent.