I’m thrilled to share that I’ve started my own YouTube channel focusing on genealogy, with a special focus on AI and DNA! (I’m still working on the perfect tagline.) My first two videos focus on the fascinating world of AI.
AI in Genealogy: A Follow-Up Discussion
In the first video, Blaine Bettinger, Steve Little, Mark Thompson, and I reunited to discuss some of the questions raised in our panel discussion during the NGS plenary session.
We covered five key questions:
- What is one of your top AI tool recommendations for genealogy?
- How can my content still be my content, and how can others recognize it as being my content, if I’m incorporating AI-generated content?
- What are some of the implications of utilizing AI to create realistic images of ancestors or historical events or locations throughout history?
- How do we improve accuracy and reduce bias in AI-generated genealogical data?
- What is one of your favorite AI resources to keep up to date and understand the uses of artificial intelligence, particularly with regard to genealogy?
A Panel of Experts Discuss AI & Genealogy, YouTube video
ChatGPT’s Script of Our Panel Discussion
I prompted ChatGPT to “Create a usable transcript of this YouTube video. Make it look like the script for a movie.” To my delight, it generated an engaging script complete with an opening scene, voiceovers, smiles, nods, and other actions. Here’s a snippet from the opening section:
[Opening Scene: A cozy virtual conference room, four genealogy experts seated around a digital table]
Narrator (V.O.): “Welcome, everyone. Thank you for joining us. As you may know, we recently held a plenary session at The National Genealogical Society Conference 2024. We discussed the use of AI in genealogical research, exploring various aspects of this technology. Unfortunately, an hour wasn’t nearly enough time to cover everything we wanted to discuss. So, we’ve come together today to continue that conversation and address some of the questions and concepts we couldn’t cover.”
[Cut to Blaine, smiling at the camera]
Blaine: “Before we dive in, I want to thank NGS for the opportunity to have this session. You can still access that session and other conference sessions by purchasing access through the link we’ll provide in the notes.”
[Camera pans to Dana, who nods in agreement]
Dana: “Absolutely. Now, let’s jump into some of the topics we wanted to cover. One of the first questions we had was about top AI tool recommendations for genealogy. Blaine, do you want to start?”
[Blaine leans forward, thoughtful]
Blaine: “Sure. Interestingly, the phrase ‘for genealogy’ might throw people off. I use AI tools for various tasks, not strictly genealogical research. For example, I use ChatGPT to help understand complex concepts or generate analogies. It helps me express ideas in ways I might not have thought of. What about you, Dana?”
[Dana smiles]
Dana: “Like you, Blaine, I don’t use AI specifically for research but for assistance in other tasks. ChatGPT and Claude are my go-to tools. ChatGPT is great for tech help, while Claude feels more natural for writing. I also love using ChatGPT for generating images, as some of you might have seen on my social media.”
[Mark jumps in, animated]
Mark: “I’m with you both. These tools are imminently transferable. One way I recommend using multiple models at once is through the Chatbot Arena, where you can compare responses from different models. It helps to see which model works best for a given prompt.”
[Steve, smiling, adds his thoughts]
Steve: “Great points. If I had to spend money on one tool, it would be ChatGPT. Custom GPTs are game-changers for repetitive tasks like obituary analysis or summarization. I also like using Perplexity for an AI-enhanced search experience.”
Narrator (V.O.): “Fast forward to the end of our discussion…”
[The camera pulls back, showing all four experts smiling]
Blaine: “Well, that’s it for today. Thank you all for joining us. Please leave a comment with your thoughts and any questions you have. We appreciate all you do for the field and enjoyed this discussion.”
[The screen fades to black, ending with a text overlay: “Thank you for watching. Stay tuned for more insights on AI and genealogy.”]
Clarification: How I Use AI for Research-Related Tasks
In the panel discussion, I mentioned that I don’t use AI specifically for genealogical research, I want to clarify that I do use it for many research-related tasks. For example, I often ask AI to transcribe documents, summarize information, and extract and organize data. I also use AI to analyze and create tables of data.
AI tools have become a constant part of my day, helping me with both genealogical work and daily tasks. AI allows me to work more efficiently and effectively, allowing me time to spend more time focusing on the things I love.
Getting Started with ChatGPT: A Step-by-Step Guide
ChatGPT A Step-by-Step Guide for Al, YouTube video
The second video is a step-by-step guide to using ChatGPT, one of the most popular and powerful AI tools available. This video is perfect for anyone looking to get started with AI. I give a quick tour of ChatGPT, pointing out where to find things and explaining what each part does.
Up until recently, the free version of ChatGPT used the 3.5 language model. But now, ChatGPT gives you access to the incredible version 4 model completely FREE! If you’ve tried ChatGPT before and were disappointed (or confused), I highly recommend giving ChatGPT 4 a shot. I hope you will see how powerful it is!
Upcoming Content
I’ve got an exciting new video coming out in the next few days, so stay tuned! Check out my channel, and if there’s a specific topic you’d like me to cover in a future video, please leave a comment on this blog post or my YouTube channel. I’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions!
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