Article by Christoph C. Cemper
With many thanks to Ben Johnson for referring me to this article
Technology is rapidly evolving, giving us access to more information and more ways to interact with that information than ever before. In the field of genealogy, artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming how we research and understand family histories, helping us to pull together piles of records and produce more cohesive narratives. Though caution is required to make sure that these tools don’t introduce inaccuracies or compromise our privacy, the integration of AI into genealogy promises to make family records more accessible and enhance our understanding of our ancestry.
What Is AI?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a type of technology aimed at replicating human intelligence, enabling systems to recognize images, generate new content from learned patterns, and adapt their responses based on input, much like human decision-making. This capability allows AI to efficiently tackle a wide range of tasks, uncover patterns that might escape human notice, and take on repetitive or mundane activities that people often find tedious.
How Can AI Be Used for Genealogy?
Though the technology behind AI may seem complex, its applications in family history research are straightforward and can be incredibly helpful. Here are some key ways AI is being used in genealogy:
Analyzing Images: AI can identify faces in old photos and is also used to colorize, restore, label, and organize images.
Constructing Family Trees: AI can recognize patterns in data to suggest possible relatives and help build out family trees by identifying connections between people.
Matching Data: AI can cross-reference information from multiple databases or documents to find specific individuals or suggest additional records that might be related to your ancestor.
Telling Stories: AI tools can transform basic genealogical data into engaging narratives by adding historical context or transcribing recorded stories. It can even create virtual avatars to tell the stories of your ancestors through augmented reality.
Transcribing Records: AI can read and transcribe both printed and handwritten historical records, making it easier to search through old and sometimes hard-to-decipher documents.
Translation: AI can translate foreign-language records, giving you access to important information about ancestors whose documents are not in your native language.
Can I Use ChatGPT for Genealogy?
ChatGPT is a widely used AI tool, and it can have some applications in genealogy. This generative AI tool can help you craft family stories and answer general questions about the historical context of your ancestors’ lives.
Here are a few questions you can ask ChatGPT to assist with your family history research:
Can you transcribe the text of this family document?
Can you tell me the origins and variations of my surname?
What online databases can I use to find historical records related to my family?
Can you help me place an ancestor’s life within the context of historical events and societal changes?
Can you construct a family narrative based on the genealogy records I’ve collected?
Additional Resources
Source:
Article by Christoph C. Cemper, accessed on 11/11/2024 at https://www.aiprm.com/education/ai-for-genealogical-research/