Podcast
The Family History AI Show
Welcome to "The Family History AI Show," your go-to podcast for the latest news and views on artificial intelligence and family history.
Join Steve Little, world-class authority in AI and genealogy, and Mark Thompson, professional genealogist, educator, and technology expert, as they explore the fascinating intersection of family history and AI.
In each episode, Mark and Steve unpack the latest news and tools in AI, delivering clear, accessible insights on how you can transform your personal genealogy journey using AI and how AI is reshaping the genealogy community as a whole.
- Episodes
- 43
- Releases
- Every two weeks
- Typical length
- 1 hr 2 min
- On air since
- 2024
- Latest episode
- 1 month ago
Episodes
43 episodes, newest first
-
1 hr 18 min
EP43: Ancestry's AI Stories, Model News, Scheduled Agents, Goodbye GPTs, AI Slowdown
Show notes
This episode is sponsored by the Family History AI Show Academy
Beginning October 27, 2026, Mark and Steve are teaching Advanced Family History AI, the Level II course in their Family History AI series. The course is designed for genealogists with several months of experience using artificial intelligence tools who are ready to move beyond basic prompting to new tools and powerful techniques for researching and telling their family's story.
Register for Mark and Steve's classes at:
Description
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little report from the East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference in Boston, where genetic genealogists were adopting artificial intelligence far faster than expected. They then look at Ancestry's AI Stories, which turn a single record into a narrated story about an ancestor, and why the record itself should remain the evidence.
The hosts explain why new models solving century-old math problems matter to family historians, as experienced genealogists begin bringing their hardest research problems to these tools, and what the planned retirement of custom GPTs means for researchers who rely on them for their saved prompts.
In the Tip of the Week, Mark sets up a scheduled agent that checks Ancestry, MyHeritage, Findmypast, Library and Archives Canada, and other repositories each week for newly released records in the places he researches, and compares how Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini handle the job.
In RapidFire, the hosts cover Claude's memory controls, which can keep one family's research from bleeding into another's, Apple's Gemini-powered Siri, and the calls to slow artificial intelligence development, ending with a reminder that genealogists can already do far more with today's tools than most realize.
TimestampsOpening
00:06 Family History AI Show Academy: Advanced Family History AI Course
01:35 Trends from the East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference: Adoption Goes Mainstream
05:46 Today's Headlines: A Preview of the Episode
In the News
07:18 New Features at Ancestry: Document Transcription and AI Stories
11:18 Artificial Intelligence Model News: Claude Fable 5.1, GPT-6 Astra, and Navier-Stokes
20:34 Another Round of Simplification: Claude Merges Chat and Cowork, Custom GPTs Retire
Tip of the Week
30:05 Scheduling Your Artificial Intelligence Agent: Weekly Checks for New Record Collections
RapidFire
42:56 Claude Memory: Editable, Project-Aware, and Worth Checking
49:50 Apple's Smarter Siri (Again): Google Gemini Under the Hood
54:03 Calls to Slow Down Artificial Intelligence: Separating Real Risks from Headlines
Final Thoughts
1:16:53 Episode Wrap
Resource Links
Family History AI Show Academy
Advanced Family History AI Course Registration
Trends from the East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference
East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference
New Features at Ancestry
Ancestry Brings Family History to Life with New AI-Powered Stories
Build Deeper Connections with Ancestry's Redesigned Record Page
The Science Behind Full-Text Search on Ancestry
Artificial Intelligence Model News
Introducing Claude Fable 5.1 and Claude Mythos 5.1
https://www.anthropic.com/claude-fable-and-mythos-5-1
GPT-6 Astra: A New Generation of Intelligence
https://openai.com/index/gpt-6-astra/
OpenAI on the Navier-Stokes Millennium Prize Problem
https://openai.com/index/navier-stokes-solution/
Another Round of Simplification
Claude Cowork and Chat Are Now One Claude
https://claude.com/blog/cowork-is-now-claude
Custom GPT Retirement and Migration FAQ: Retirement Planned for December 11, 2026
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001519-custom-gpt-retirement-and-migration-faq
Scheduling Your Artificial Intelligence Agent
Schedule Recurring Tasks in Claude Cowork
https://support.claude.com/en/articles/13854387-schedule-recurring-tasks-in-claude-cowork
Scheduled Tasks in ChatGPT
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/10291617-scheduled-tasks-in-chatgpt
Create and Manage Schedules for Tasks in Gemini Spark
https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/17094710
Claude Memory
Use Claude's Chat Search and Memory to Build on Previous Context
Apple's Smarter Siri
Siri AI, a Profoundly More Capable and Personal Assistant, Is Here
Calls to Slow Down Artificial Intelligence
Dario Amodei: We Must Pace the Frontier
https://darioamodei.com/post/we-must-pace-the-frontier
Tags
Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, Anthropic, OpenAI, Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Ancestry, AI Stories, Scheduled Agents, Custom GPTs, Claude Cowork, AI Memory, Apple Intelligence, Siri, Navier-Stokes, AI Safety, Record Collections, Genetic Genealogy
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47 min
EP42: Summer Model Releases, Desktop Apps, AI Hacking Spree, and Handwriting Transcription
Show notes
Description
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little return from institute season to unpack a summer that reshaped the artificial intelligence landscape, beginning with the new model families from OpenAI and Anthropic and how to choose among them.
The hosts then examine desktop artificial intelligence applications, which read and write files directly in a folder on your own computer, followed by Mark’s Tip of the Week on connecting ChatGPT Desktop to Excel to update one of his complex spreadsheets.
In RapidFire, the hosts cover the hacking spree that both OpenAI and Anthropic disclosed this summer, models solving mathematical problems that stumped researchers for decades, and handwritten text recognition finally crossing the line into everyday usefulness.
The through line in today’s episode is the shrinking list of things artificial intelligence cannot do, and what that might mean for genealogy.
This episode is sponsored by the East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference
The East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference is one of the best places in the world for advanced genetic genealogists to learn how the newest advances in genetic genealogy can improve their family history research. Mark and Steve are both presenting, and the conference begins August 21, 2026, in Boston. In person and online options are both available.
TimestampsOpening
00:16 East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference in Boston
In the News
03:40 Summer Model Releases: Choosing Between Fast, Cheap, and Good
07:54 The Rise of the Desktop Apps: Artificial Intelligence That Reads Your Local Files
Tip of the Week
16:20 Connecting ChatGPT Desktop to Excel: Rebuilding a Complex Spreadsheet
RapidFire
25:58 Artificial Intelligence Breaks Out: OpenAI and Anthropic Disclose Sandbox Escapes
31:24 Century-Old Math Problems Solved: Why Verifiable Fields Fall First
38:03 Handwritten Text Recognition: Transcription Is No Longer the Hard Part
Final Thoughts
46:10 Episode Wrap and Boston Send-Off
Resource Links
East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference
Summer Model Releases
United States Government Grounds Anthropic
https://www.anthropic.com/news/fable-mythos-access
Sol Cheated on Itself
https://deploymentsafety.openai.com/gpt-5-6
The Rise of the Desktop Apps
Download ChatGPT for Desktop
Install Claude Desktop
https://support.claude.com/en/articles/10065433-install-claude-desktop
Download Google Antigravity
Artificial Intelligence Solves Century-Old Math Problems
Ten Math Claims, Public Receipts from OpenAI
https://openai.com/index/ten-advances-in-mathematics/
Anthropic Cracked an 87-Year Math Problem
https://fortune.com/2026/07/21/ai-solves-jacobian-conjecture-levant-alpoge-claude-fable-5/
Handwritten Text Recognition
Dan Maloney’s Artificial Intelligence Handwriting Transcription Rankings
https://www.genea.ca/rankings/
Tags
Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, OpenAI, Anthropic, ChatGPT Desktop, Claude Desktop, Google Antigravity, Desktop Applications, Excel, Spreadsheet Automation, Handwriting Recognition, Document Transcription, Gemini, Model Selection, Sandbox Escape, Mathematics, Genetic Genealogy, Dan Maloney, AI Tools
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1 hr 9 min
EP41: MyHeritage Announces Scribe AI, Dave Vance Talks AI at FamilyTreeDNA, Full Text Search at Fold3, Wikipedia's AI Ban
Show notes
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little open with a deep look at MyHeritage's new Scribe AI, a new AI tool that analyzes records, photographs, gravestones, and coats of arms and provides genealogy relevant research suggestions. It even works on your own photographs.
This episode features an interview with Dave Vance, General Manager of Family Tree DNA, exploring how the hottest new genetic genealogy tests, provided by next-generation sequencing, deliver 400 times more genomic info than traditional microarray chips and what that means for matching, triangulation, and the future role of AI in genetic genealogy.
In RapidFire, the hosts cover Fold3's AI-powered full-text search for Revolutionary War pension files, Claude for Excel as a practical AI plug-in for Microsoft's spreadsheet, and Wikipedia's decision to ban AI-generated article content.
TimestampsOpening
00:05 GRIP 2026 Course Announcements
In the News
05:03 MyHeritage Scribe AI: Record and Photo Analysis for Genealogists
Interview
14:58 Dave Vance, Family Tree DNA: Next-Generation Sequencing and AI in Genetic Genealogy
RapidFire
45:54 Fold3 Full-Text Search: Revolutionary War Pension Files Now Searchable
53:46 Claude for Excel: AI-Powered Spreadsheet Analysis Plug-in
1:00:47 Wikipedia's AI Policy: Editors Vote to Ban AI-Generated Content
Final Thoughts
1:08:19 Episode Wrap and Next Interview Preview
Resource Links
GRIP Genealogy Institute 2026 Courses
GRIP Genealogy Institute https://grip.ngsgenealogy.org/
MyHeritage Scribe AI
Introducing Scribe AI https://blog.myheritage.com/2026/03/introducing-scribe-ai/
Fold3 Full-Text Search
Revolutionary War Pension Files: Now Available Through Full-Text Search https://blog.fold3.com/revolutionary-war-pension-files-now-available-through-full-text-search/
Claude for Excel
Use Claude for Excel https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12650343-use-claude-for-excel
Wikipedia AI Policy
Wikipedia Cracks Down on the Use of AI in Article Writing https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/26/wikipedia-cracks-down-on-the-use-of-ai-in-article-writing/
Wikipedia: Artificial Intelligence Policy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Artificial_intelligence
Tags
Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, MyHeritage, Scribe AI, Family Tree DNA, Dave Vance, Next-Generation Sequencing, Genetic Genealogy, Fold3, Handwriting Recognition, Full-Text Search, Claude for Excel, Wikipedia, AI Policy, Record Analysis, Photo Analysis, Revolutionary War, RootsTech, AI Tools
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1 hr 2 min
EP40: AI Models Leap Forward, Research Like a Pro Meets AI, FamilySearch Simple Search, Ancestry AI Stories, Anthropic vs. Uncle Sam
Show notes
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little examine the major AI model upgrades released over the winter, comparing Anthropic's Opus 4.6, OpenAI's GPT 5.4, and Google's Gemini 3.1 Pro and their benefits for genealogists.
In a special interview recorded at RootsTech 2026, they sit down with Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer of Family Locket to explore how the Research Like a Pro methodology integrates with AI tools for transcription, locality research, and DNA analysis.
In RapidFire, they cover FamilySearch's new Simple Search interface for Full-Text Search, Ancestry's AI Stories feature for understanding historical records, and the escalating conflict between Anthropic and the U.S. federal government over the use of AI by the military.
Timestamps:
In the News:
03:12 New AI Model Releases: Opus 4.6, GPT 5.4, and Gemini 3.1 Pro Transform Genealogy
Interview
19:40 Interview with Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer: Research Like a Pro Meets AI
RapidFire:
44:05 FamilySearch Simple Search: Natural Language Meets Full-Text Search
48:24 Ancestry AI Stories: Understanding Historical Records with AI
53:00 Anthropic vs. U.S. Government: AI Ethics Battle Elevates Claude
Resource Links:
New Models
Introducing GPT5.4
https://openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-5-4/
Anthropic releases Opus 4.6
https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/05/anthropic-releases-opus-4-6-with-new-agent-teams/
Anthropic releases Claude Sonnet 4.6
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/17/anthropic-ai-claude-sonnet-4-6-default-free-pro.html
Gemini 3.1 Pro
https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/gemini-models/gemini-3-1-pro/
Interview with Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer from Family Locket
About Diana Elder and Nicole Elder Dyer
https://familylocket.com/about-us/
Simple Search for Family Search Full Text Search
How do I use Fulltext Search?
https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-use-fulltext-search
Ancestry AI Stories
Ancestry Brings Family History to Life with New AI-Powered Stories
Anthropic and the U.S. Government
Trump orders government to stop using Anthropic in battle over AI use
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn48jj3y8ezo
Anthropic CEO responds to Trump order, Pentagon clash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPTNHrq_4LU
Tags:
Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, AI Models, RootsTech, FamilySearch, Ancestry, Claude, ChatGPT, Google Gemini
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50 min
EP39: 2026 Predictions for Family History AI, Platform Apps, Handwritten Text Recognition, AI-Enhanced Research, AI-Browsers, and so much more!
Show notes
In the last episode of 2025, Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little present their predictions for how artificial intelligence will transform genealogy research in 2026. This special episode examines fourteen key trends shaping the future of family history AI.
Mark and Steve predict that AI tools will move from enthusiast circles into mainstream genealogy practice, with AI-enhanced apps like NotebookLM becoming more important than the underlying language models that people have focused on for the past three years.
They explore how handwritten text recognition will become more accurate and accessible, and that genealogy companies will cautiously integrate new AI features, first focusing on helping us with our research.
Timestamps:
02:33 Family History AI Goes Mainstream: From Enthusiasts to Everyday Users
04:13 Apps Over Models: Why Platform Features Matter More Than LLMs
06:17 Reusable Prompting Tools: GPTs, Projects, and Gems Boost Efficiency
08:02 AI-Enhanced Research Gains Acceptance Among Serious Genealogists
09:53 Handwritten Text Recognition Gets Better, Easier, and Cheaper
12:18 Genealogy Companies Take Cautious Approach to Generative AI
17:07 AI-Enhanced Browsers Become Standard, Agentic Features Raise Concerns
24:25 Voice Interfaces to AI Remain Niche in 2026
27:36 LLM Vendors Push File and Email Integration for Stickiness
31:46 Productivity Tools Embed LLMs Everywhere
35:56 The AI Horse Race: Three Leaders Emerge
41:15 AI Licensing Deals Change Internet Access Patterns
44:34 The AI Bubble Conversation is important to society, but less so to Genealogists
Resource Links:
The Family History AI Show Academy
Family History AI Goes Mainstream
What Can AI Do for Your Genealogical Research? – James Tanner (Nov 2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXmVKy1pUPE
FamilySearch Shares Plans for 2025 (Includes AI integration details) https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/familysearch-shares-plans-for-2025
Reusable Prompting Tools
Custom GPTs vs. Gemini Gems: Who Wins? - Learn Prompting (Aug 2025) https://learnprompting.org/blog/custom-gpts-vs-gemini-gems
AI-Enhanced Research
Unlocking Family Histories: How AI Is Breathing New Life into Handwritten Records (South Central APG)
Handwritten Text Recognition
A new Google model is nearly perfect on automated handwriting recognition - Hacker News https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45887262
Cautious AI from Genealogy Companies
AI-Enhanced Browsers
Compliance alert: Do not use AI browsers
https://vinciworks.com/blog/compliance-alert-do-not-use-ai-browsers/
Content Integration with Chatbots
Gemini vs Copilot: A Quick Comparison Guide (2025) - Tactiq
https://tactiq.io/learn/gemini-vs-copilot
AI in Office Productivity Tools
Microsoft Copilot in 2025: What's Changed & What's Next | Aldridge
https://aldridge.com/microsoft-copilot-in-2025-whats-changed-whats-next/
Monthly Round Up: New Features in Microsoft 365 Copilot (Dec 2025)
The AI Horse Race
The Best AI in October 2025? We Compared ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Gemini & Others - FelloAI
https://felloai.com/the-best-ai-in-october-2025-we-compared-chatgpt-claude-grok-gemini-others/
The 2025 AI Coding Models: Comprehensive Guide to the Top 5 Contenders - CodeGPT
https://www.codegpt.co/blog/ai-coding-models-2025-comprehensive-guide
AI Licensing Deals
Content Licensing Agreements Will Concentrate Markets Without Standardized Access - ProMarket
The False Hope of Content Licensing at Internet Scale - ProMarket
https://www.promarket.org/2025/11/19/the-false-hope-of-content-licensing-at-internet-scale/
The AI Bubble Conversation
The AI boom will turn to bust in 2026
OUTLOOK 2026 Promise and Pressure - J.P. Morgan (Discusses AI market stability vs bubble risks)
https://www.jpmorgan.com/content/dam/jpmorgan/documents/wealth-management/outlook-2026.pdf
Tags:
Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, AI Predictions, NotebookLM, HTR, AI Browsers, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude
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56 min
EP38: 2025 Year in Review, A Look Back at Our 2025 AI Predictions, The Reasoning Revolution
Show notes
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little present a special year-end episode, comparing their 2025 AI predictions to what actually unfolded in 2025. This episode is a great review of the top AI advancements in 2025!
The hosts examine which predictions hit the mark, including the agentic AI hype cycle, plummeting AI costs driven by DeepSeek, and the dethroning of OpenAI as the top AI model. They also explore predictions that proved partially accurate, such as the shift to local language models and the adoption of AI in social media.
Mark and Steve have a good laugh over their biggest misses, including breakthroughs in text-in-image generation, image restoration, and vibe coding. They highlight how reasoning models were the transformative force behind nearly every major AI advancement in 2025.
The episode closes with a preview of next week's 2026 predictions episode.
Timestamps:
03:30 Agents, Agents, Everywhere: Deep Research and Agentic Browsers
09:49 Cost of AI Drops Like a Rock: DeepSeek Disrupts the Market
12:26 OpenAI Dethroned: Gemini and Anthropic Rise
18:46 Local Language Models
23:54 AI Invades Social Media
28:24 AI-Enhanced Writing: From Grammar Checking to Ghost Writers
32:30 Family Tree Diagrams: Possible But Not Practical
36:03 Handwriting Recognition: Reasoning Improves Results
38:01 Reasoning Models: 2025’s Most Important Advancement
41:31 Text in Images: A Solved Problem
45:05 Image Restoration: Breakthroughs and Responsibilities
51:02 Vibe Coding: Speaking Software Into Being
Resource Links:
Register for a Class with the Family History AI Show Academy
Agentic AI
Agentic AI In-Depth Report 2025
https://hblabgroup.com/agentic-ai-in-depth-report/
Perplexity's New AI-First Browser Kicks Off Agentic Applications
Cost of AI
State of AI in 10 Charts
https://hai.stanford.edu/news/ai-index-2025-state-of-ai-in-10-charts
Free AI Tools 2025
https://thehumanprompts.com/free-ai-tools-2025-platforms/
OpenAI Dethroned
Geoffrey Hinton says Google is 'beginning to overtake' OpenAI
https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-godfather-geoffrey-hinton-google-overtaking-openai-2025-12
Local AI Hardware
Assessing the On-Device Artificial Intelligence (AI) Opportunity
Family Tree Diagrams
Explore how powerful AI image editing can support advanced creative workflows.
https://deepmind.google/models/gemini-image/pro/
Text in Images
Nano Banana Pro Review: Is Google's AI Image Generator Too Good?
https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/google-nano-banana-pro-ai-image-generator-review/
Vibe Coding
No code, big dreams
https://www.businessinsider.com/non-technical-people-vibecoding-lessons-ai-apps-2025-9
Image Restoration
Responsible AI Photo Restoration
https://makingfamilyhistory.com/responsible-ai-photo-restoration/
Protecting Trust in Historical Images
https://craigen.org/protecting-trust-in-historical-images/
Tags:
Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, AI Predictions, Reasoning Models, DeepSeek, Gemini, Image Restoration, Vibe Coding, Agentic AI
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1 hr
EP37: Google Gemini 3 Released, ChatGPT 5.1 Upgrades, How Reasoning Improves Transcriptions, Canva AI Image Generation
Show notes
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little examine Google's groundbreaking Gemini 3 release, which delivers state-of-the-art multimodal reasoning and sets a new benchmark for AI capabilities. They also explore ChatGPT's upgrade to version 5.1 with improved instruction following and better handling of longer conversation.
The hosts discuss Canva's new Creative Operating System, which now generates AI-powered designs directly within the platform.
This week's Tip of the Week demonstrates how Gemini 3 can use the context you provide it to greatly improve the accuracy of your hand written transcription.
In RapidFire, they cover NotebookLM's new deep research mode, Nano Banana's integration into Photoshop, Anthropic's privacy policy changes regarding training data, and how Claude's new usage monitoring feature can reduce your stress level.
Timestamps:
In the News:
04:17 Google Gemini 3’s Multimodal AI Reaches New Heights
13:47 ChatGPT 5.1 upgrade is now better at following your Instructions
22:39 Canva Creative Operating System: AI-Powered Design Generation
Tip of the Week:
26:21 Adding Reasoning to Your Transcriptions Improves Accuracy
RapidFire:
36:40 NotebookLM Becomes a Fully Featured Research Tool
43:40 Nano Banana is Now Available in Photoshop
47:20 Anthropic Announces Claude Chats Will Be Used for Training Data
54:13 View Your Claude Usage in Settings
Resource Links:
Intro to Family History AI by the Family History AI Show Academy
Google Gemini 3
Introducing Gemini 3: A New Era of Intelligence
https://blog.google/products/gemini/gemini-3/
ChatGPT 5.1
A smarter, more conversational
https://openai.com/index/gpt-5-1/
GPT-5.1 New Features Explained
https://scalevise.com/resources/gpt-5-1-new-features/
Canva Creative Operating System
Introducing Canva's Creative Operating System
https://www.canva.com/newsroom/news/creative-operating-system/
NotebookLM Deep Research
NotebookLM adds Deep Research and support for more source types
https://blog.google/technology/google-labs/notebooklm-deep-research-file-types/
Nano Banana in Photoshop
Create with unlimited generations using Google Gemini 3 (Nano Banana Pro) in Adobe Firefly
https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2025/11/20/google-gemini-3-nano-banana-pro-firefly-photoshop
Anthropic Privacy Policy Update
Anthropic Will Use Claude Chats for Training Data: How to Opt Out
https://www.wired.com/story/anthropic-using-claude-chats-for-training-how-to-opt-out/
Updates to Consumer Terms and Privacy Policy
https://www.anthropic.com/news/updates-to-our-consumer-terms
Claude Usage Monitoring
Usage Limit Best Practices
https://support.claude.com/en/articles/9797557-usage-limit-best-practices
Tags:
Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Canva, NotebookLM, Nano Banana, Anthropic Claude, Photo Restoration
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1 hr 13 min
EP36: Browser Wars Heat Up, What AI Can Learn from AOL, Anthropic's Speedy New AI Model, Simple Path to Better Prompts
Show notes
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little discuss how new AI browsers are changing how genealogists research. They compare OpenAI's Atlas, Microsoft Edge, Google's Gemini, and Perplexity's Comet, explaining which features help family historians most.
The hosts share lessons from the early AOL era that can be applied to the AI era. They also explore Anthropic's new Haiku 4.5, a very fast model that works great for simple tasks like transcription and summarization.
Don’t miss this week's Tip of the Week, where Steve shows how AI can help you write better AI prompts. He uses an example for extracting information from draft cards to show how useful this approach can be.
In RapidFire, they cover new AI features in spreadsheets, major improvements in transcribing old handwriting, and how Microsoft Copilot's new agent store tries to help you with common tasks.
Timestamps:
In the News:
01:20 Browser Wars Heat Up: OpenAI Atlas, Edge, and Gemini Compete
16:50 What AI Can Learn from AOL: Avoiding Walled Garden Mistakes
29:10 Anthropic's Haiku 4.5: When Smaller Models Beat Bigger Ones
Tip of the Week:
39:50 Using AI to Write Better Prompts for Historical Documents
RapidFire:
47:19 AI Makes Spreadsheets Easier: Google Sheets vs Excel
54:35 Reading Old Handwriting Gets Better: DeepSeek and Google Updates
01:05:15 Microsoft Copilot Adds Writing and Prompt Coaches
Resource Links:
Genealogy and AI Facebook to hit 20k users!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/genealogyandai
An In-Depth Look at OpenAI's AI Browser
https://intuitionlabs.ai/articles/chatgpt-atlas-openai-browser
DeepSeek AI created DeepSeek-OCR
https://www.infoq.com/news/2025/10/deepseek-ocr/
Nearly perfect on handwriting recognition
https://generativehistory.substack.com/p/has-google-quietly-solved-two-of
Global AI Browser Market Size
https://market.us/report/ai-browser-market/
Benchmarking Claude Haiku 4.5 and Sonnet 4.5 on 400 Real PRs
Anthropic’s Claude Haiku 4.5 Brings Enterprise-Grade Speed and Savings to Customer-Facing AI
Top 10 AI Spreadsheet Tools
https://www.knack.com/blog/top-ai-spreadsheet-tools/
Prompt Coach: Prebuilt agent for Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat
Tags:
Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, AI Browsers, OpenAI Atlas, Google Gemini, Microsoft Edge, Perplexity Comet, Anthropic Haiku, Meta-Prompting, Spreadsheet AI, OCR Technology, Handwritten Text, DeepSeek, Microsoft Copilot, AI Agents, Document Extraction, Family History, Browser Wars, AI Models
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49 min
EP35: Nano Banana Comes to Photoshop, ChatGPT Projects Now Free, Citation Best Practices for Nano Banana, Sora 2 Goes Social, Claude Writes MS Office Documents
Show notes
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore how Google's Nano Banana photo restoration tool will revolutionize image restoration by integrating with Adobe Photoshop. This move will greatly reduce unintended changes to historical photos when editing them with AI.
Next, they unpack OpenAI’s move to make ChatGPT Projects available to free-tier users, making research organization more accessible for genealogists.
This week's Tip of the Week provides essential guidance on the responsible use AI when editing historical photos using AI tools like Nano Banana, ensuring transparency and trust in historical photographs.
In RapidFire, they cover OpenAI's new Sora 2 AI-video social media platform, Claude's new ability to create and edit Microsoft Office files, memory features in Claude Projects, advancements in local language models, and how OpenAI's massive infrastructure deals are changing the AI landscape.
Timestamps:
In the News:
02:43 Adobe improves historical photo restoration by adding Nano Banana to Photoshop
09:34 ChatGPT Projects are Now Free
Tip of the Week:
13:36 Citations for AI-Restored Images Build Trust in AI-Modified Photos
RapidFire:
21:24 Sora 2 Goes Social
27:23 Claude Adds Microsoft Office Creation and Editing
34:26 Memory Features Come to Claude Projects
38:32 Apple and Amazon both create Local Language Model tools
44:47 OpenAI's Big Data Centre Deal with Oracle
Resource Links
OpenAI announces free access to ChatGPT Projects
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes
Engadget: OpenAI Rolls Out ChatGPT Projects to Free Users
https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-rolls-out-chatgpt-projects-to-free-users-215027802.html
Forbes: OpenAI Makes ChatGPT Projects Free
Responsible AI Photo Restoration
https://makingfamilyhistory.com/responsible-ai-photo-restoration/
Claude now has memory, but only for certain users
https://mashable.com/article/anthropic-claude-ai-now-has-memory-for-some-users
New Apple Intelligence features are available today
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/09/new-apple-intelligence-features-are-available-today/
Introducing Amazon Lens Live
https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/search-image-amazon-lens-live-shopping-rufus
Amazon Lens Live Can Scan and Pull Up Matches
A Joint Statement from OpenAI and Microsoft About Their Changing Partnership
https://openai.com/index/joint-statement-from-openai-and-microsoft/
The Verge: OpenAI and Oracle Pen $300 Billion Compute Deal
Reuters: OpenAI and Oracle Sign $300 Billion Computing Deal
Tags
Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, Photo Restoration, AI Tools, OpenAI, Google, Adobe Photoshop, ChatGPT Projects, Nano Banana, Image Editing, AI Citations, Sora 2, Video Generation, Claude, Microsoft Office, Apple Intelligence, Amazon Lens, Oracle, Cloud Computing, Local Language Models, AI Infrastructure, Responsible AI, Historical Photos
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1 hr 17 min
EP34: 2025 Mid-Year AI Review, FamilySearch Full-Text Goes Live, Nano Banana Photo Restoration Tips, AI's Environmental Impact
Show notes
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little review the biggest AI breakthroughs of 2025 so far, from DeepSeek's open-source revolution to GPT-5's unified reasoning model.
Mark and Steve also celebrate FamilySearch's Full-Text Search moving from experimental labs to the main website, covering 1.4 billion records across 4,300 collections plus new summarization and filtering features.
This week's Tip of the Week provides practical guidance on using Nano Banana for photo restoration, explaining when it works brilliantly and when to exercise caution with damaged images.
In RapidFire, they examine competing reports on AI's environmental impact, explore Google's new AI Mode in mobile apps, and discuss the landmark antitrust ruling that forces Google to share search data with competitors.
Timestamps:
In the News:
03:44 2025 Mid-Year Review: AI's Explosive Growth in Genealogy
29:08 FamilySearch Full Text Search Is Now Live
37:57 AI Success Stories in the Wild: Real Genealogists, Real Results
Tip of the Week:
47:53 Best Uses for Nano Banana (Gemini Nano): Small Model, Big Impact
RapidFire:
59:54 AI's Environmental Debate: Energy Costs vs. Benefits
1:03:50 Google AI in Mobile Apps: What It Means for Genealogists
1:11:07 Google Antitrust Ruling Issued: Impact on AI Development
Resource Links:
Intro to Family History AI by the Family History AI Show Academy
Full-Text Search (must be logged in to use this link)
https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/full-text/
Full-Text Search Leaves FamilySearch Labs
https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/full-text-search-leaves-familysearch-labs
How do I use FullText Search?
https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-use-fulltext-search
Responsible AI Photo Restoration
https://makingfamilyhistory.com/responsible-ai-photo-restoration/
WaPo AI Energy Usage, Sept 2024
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/09/18/energy-ai-use-electricity-water-data-centers/
Google: How much energy does Google's AI use? We did the math
Judge orders Google to share search data as part of antitrust ruling --- but Google gets to keep Chrome
Tags:
Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, DeepSeek R1, AI Reasoning, Open Source AI, Free AI Tools, ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, OpenAI Operator, AI Agents, Beginner AI Guide, Research Tools, Document Analysis, AI Democratization, Context Windows, Deep Research, AI Writing, Browser Automation, Genealogy Research, AI Accessibility, Reasoning Models, AI Education
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1 hr 6 min
EP33: ChatGPT 5 Aftermath, Nano Banana Image Revolution, Save Time with AI Citations, Anthropic Changes its Stance on Chat Privacy, The AI Browser Wars Heat Up
Show notes
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little return from summer break to discuss the mixed reception of ChatGPT 5 and how OpenAI responded to user feedback.
They explore Google's game-changing Nano Banana (Gemini Flash Image) model that revolutionizes selective image editing, reigniting debates about AI photo restoration in genealogy.
This week's Tip of the Week emphasizes not letting perfect be the enemy of the good, especially when it comes to AI-powered citation. Mark shares his experience with 100 citations as part of the WikiTree Challenge.
In RapidFire, they cover Apple's possible Gemini partnership, new AI study modes for back-to-school season, Anthropic's copyright settlement, and controversial changes to its privacy policy. They close with escalating skirmishes in the escalating AI browser wars.
Timestamps:
In the News:
05:14 ChatGPT 5 Launch Aftermath: Mixed Reception and Quick Fixes
17:15 Nano Banana: Google's Game-Changing Image Editing Model
Tip of the Week:
32:38 Don't Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Good: Building Citation Prompts
RapidFire:
43:27 Apple Explores Google Gemini Partnership for Siri
47:16 Back to School: AI Study Modes from ChatGPT and Gemini
53:00 Anthropic Settles Copyright Lawsuit with Authors
56:29 Anthropic Reverses Privacy Stance on Training Data
60:55 AI Browser Wars: Anthropic and Google Enter the Fray
Resource Links
Intro to Family History AI by the Family History AI Show Academy
Mass Intelligence by Ethan Mollick
https://www.oneusefulthing.org/p/mass-intelligence
Create and edit images with Gemini
https://deepmind.google/models/gemini/image/
Google take 'giant leap' with launch of 'Nano Banana'
Apple Explores Using Google Gemini AI to Power Revamped Siri
Guided Learning in Gemini: From answers to understanding
https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/guided-learning/
Introducing study mode
https://openai.com/index/chatgpt-study-mode/
Anthropic Settles Copyright Lawsuit
Anthropic Updates Data Policy
https://www.anthropic.com/news/updates-to-our-consumer-terms
New Opt-Out Policy Reverses Stance on Using Consumer Data for AI Training
Anthropic launches a Claude AI agent that lives in Chrome
https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/26/anthropic-launches-a-claude-ai-agent-that-lives-in-chrome/
Google is launching a Gemini integration in Chrome
https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/20/google-is-launching-a-gemini-integration-in-chrome/
Tags
Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, Technology, ChatGPT, OpenAI, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, Image Editing, Nano Banana, AI Photography, Citation Management, WikiTree, AI Study Modes, Copyright Law, Privacy Policy, Browser Extensions, AI Training Data, Photo Restoration, Apple Siri, Educational AI, Model Selection, AI Ethics, Chrome Integration
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1 hr 2 min
EP32: ChatGPT-5 Arrives, Study Mode for ChatGPT, Claude 4.1 Upgrade, OpenAI Goes Open Source, Earnings Season Good for Big AI, Google Loses Another Monopoly Appeal
Show notes
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore the groundbreaking release of ChatGPT-5, which arrived after over a year of anticipation. They discuss how this new model transforms the AI landscape with better reasoning, larger context windows, and dramatically reduced hallucinations.
The hosts examine OpenAI's new Study and Learn Mode, which acts as a personal tutor rather than just providing answers, making it ideal for genealogists who want to deepen their understanding of their favourite topic.
This week's Tip of the Week cautions beginners about challenging AI tasks like handwritten transcriptions and structured files, recommending they master the basics first.
In RapidFire, they cover OpenAI's first open-source release since 2019, NotebookLM's video capabilities, and impressive AI company earnings reports.
Timestamps:
In the News:
00:55 ChatGPT-5 Has Arrived: Improved Features (mostly) for Genealogists
16:29 OpenAI's Study and Learn Mode: Your Personal Genealogy Tutor
23:40 Claude Releases Opus 4.1: Enhanced Reasoning and Writing
Tip of the Week:
29:25 AI Tasks for Beginners to Be Cautious Of
RapidFire:
40:16 OpenAI Releases First Open Source Model Since 2019
48:33 NotebookLM Upgrade Adds Video Support
53:34 AI Companies Report Record Earnings
Resource Links
Introduction to Family History AI
OpenAI GPT-5 Model Card
https://openai.com/index/gpt-5-system-card/
Introducing study mode
https://openai.com/index/chatgpt-study-mode/
ChatGPT Study Mode - FAQ
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11780217-chatgpt-study-mode-faq
Claude Opus 4.1
https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-opus-4-1
OpenAI announces two "gpt-oss" open AI models
https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/08/openai-releases-its-first-open-source-models-since-2019/
Google's NotebookLM rolls out Video Overviews
https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/29/googles-notebooklm-rolls-out-video-overviews/
Tech bubble going pop: AI pays the price for inflated expectations
Is The AI Bubble About To Burst?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2024/08/07/is-the-ai-bubble-about-to-burst/
Google loses appeal in antitrust battle with Fortnite maker
https://masslawyersweekly.com/2025/08/06/google-play-monopoly-verdict-epic-games-win/
Department of Justice Prevails in Landmark Antitrust Case Against Google
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-prevails-landmark-antitrust-case-against-google
Tags
Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Genealogy, Family History, OpenAI, ChatGPT-5, Claude, Large Language Models, AI Learning Tools, Study Mode, Open Source AI, NotebookLM, Video Overviews, AI Reasoning, Context Windows, Hallucination Reduction, GEDCOM Files, Handwritten Transcription, Document Analysis, AI Earnings, Google Antitrust, Apache License, Local AI Processing, Privacy, AI Education, Tutoring Systems, Coding Capabilities, Multilingual Processing, AI Development, Family History Research, Genealogists, AI Tools, Machine Learning
-
24 min
EP31: Special Episode - ChatGPT-5 Finally Drops with Big Improvements for Genealogists
Show notes
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little deliver a special same-day episode covering the long-awaited release of ChatGPT-5, which launched today, August 7, 2025.
They explore the most significant improvements in the upgrade for genealogists, including automated model selection that eliminates confusing settings for beginners, enhanced reasoning capabilities that reduce hallucinations by 45%, and big increase in the amount of information or documents that can be processed at once.
Mark demonstrates ChatGPT-5's improved image analysis with cabinet card photos, revealing how the model now provides research suggestions automatically.
This extra podcast also announces the launch of the Family History AI Show Academy, with Mark and Steve's first five-week course... "Introduction to Family History AI" beginning October 14th.
Introduction to Family History AI with Mark Thompson and Steve Little
Key Features Highlighted:
Automated Model Selection
Enhanced Reasoning
Larger Context Window
Improved Vision Analysis
Better Document Grounding
Resource Links:
Introduction to Family History AI
GPT-5 is here
Introducing GPT-5
https://openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-5/
OpenAI launches new GPT-5 model for all ChatGPT users
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/07/openai-launches-gpt-5-model-for-all-chatgpt-users.html
Tags:
Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, OpenAI, ChatGPT-5, AI Tools, Emergency Podcast, Model Selection, Reasoning Models, Context Window, Image Analysis, Cabinet Cards, Handwritten Text Recognition, Document Processing, Hallucination Reduction, AI Education, Family History AI Show Academy, Research Automation, Vision Analysis, Agentic AI, Professional Genealogy
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1 hr 10 min
EP30: ChatGPT Agent Can Research For You, Security In The Age of AI, What AI Is Good For, AI Office Suite Wars Heat Up
Show notes
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore OpenAI's groundbreaking ChatGPT Agent, demonstrating how this autonomous tool can research, analyze, and perform complex tasks on your behalf.
Next, they address important security concerns to consider in the new world of AI agents, introducing practical guidelines for protecting sensitive family data and avoiding prompt injection attacks.
This week's Tip of the Week provides a back-to-basics guide on what AI is and its four core strengths: summarization, extraction, generation, and translation.
In RapidFire, they discuss OpenAI's rumored office suite, Microsoft and Google's own efforts to integrate AI into their office suites, and recently announced AI infrastructure investments, including; Meta's Manhattan-sized data center and President Trump's new AI Action Plan.
The hosts also announce their new Family History AI Show Academy, a five-week course beginning in October of 2025. See https://tixoom.app/fhaishow/ for more details.
Timestamps:
In the News:
05:20 ChatGPT Agent: Autonomous Research Assistant for Genealogists
22:49 Safe and Secure in the Age of AI
Tip of the Week:
36:20 What is AI and What is it Good For? Back to Basics
RapidFire:
50:57 OpenAI's Office Suite Rumors
53:56 Microsoft and Google Bring AI to Their Office Suites
60:17 Big AI Infrastructure: Manhattan-Sized Data Centers
Resource Links:
Introduction to Family History AI
Do agents work in the browser?
https://www.bensbites.com/p/do-agents-work-in-the-browser
Introducing ChatGPT agent: bridging research and action
https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-agent/
OpenAI's new ChatGPT Agent can control an entire computer and do tasks for you
OpenAI's New ChatGPT Agent Tries to Do It All
https://www.wired.com/story/openai-chatgpt-agent-launch/
Agent demo post
https://x.com/rowancheung/status/1945896543263080736
OpenAI Quietly Designed a Rival to Google Workspace, Microsoft Office
OpenAI Is Quietly Creating Tools to Take on Microsoft Office and Google Workspace
What's new in Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Google Workspace enables the future of AI-powered work for every business
https://workspace.google.com/blog/product-announcements/empowering-businesses-with-AI
Google Workspace Review: Will it Serve My Needs?
https://www.emailtooltester.com/en/blog/google-workspace-review/
Tags:
Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, AI Agents, ChatGPT Agent, OpenAI, Computer Use, AI Security, Prompt Injection, Database Analysis, RootsMagic, Cemetery Records, AI Office Suite, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Google Workspace, Data Centers, AI Infrastructure, Natural Language Processing, Large Language Models, Context Windows, AI Education, Family History AI Show Academy, AI Reasoning Models, Autonomous Research, AI Ethics
-
1 hr 7 min
EP29: Perplexity's Comet Browser Revolutionizes Research, Grok 4 Released, Context is King, Google’s Video Generator Gets an Upgrade, ChatGPT Agent Launches
Show notes
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore Perplexity's groundbreaking Comet browser, which brings AI directly to web pages and can autonomously navigate sites to collect genealogical data.
They examine Grok 4's impressive benchmark performance while discussing its limitations for genealogical research and safety concerns.
This week's Tip of the Week introduces "context engineering" - the art of providing maximum information to AI tools through examples, documents, and prior conversations for superior results.
In RapidFire, they cover Google's Veo 3 photo-to-video tool, Silicon Valley's dramatic Windsurf acquisition battle, and OpenAI's new ChatGPT Agent that can control computers autonomously.
Timestamps:
In the News:
07:47 Perplexity's Comet Browser: AI-Enhanced Research and Web Surfing
20:32 Grok 4 Released: Benchmark Success, Real-World Challenges
Tip of the Week:
27:53 Context Engineering: Maximizing AI Results with Rich Information
RapidFire:
36:02 Google Veo 3: Transform Photos into Videos
44:19 Windsurf Acquisition Drama: AI Consolidation Begins
53:58 ChatGPT Agent: Autonomous Computer Control Arrives
Resource Links
Official Comet Launch Announcement
https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/introducing-comet
Perplexity launches Comet, an AI-powered web browser
https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/09/perplexity-launches-comet-an-ai-powered-web-browser/
Every: Vibe Check: Grok 4 Aced Its Exams. The Real World Is a Different Story
https://every.to/vibe-check/vibe-check-grok-4-aced-its-exams-the-real-world-is-a-different-story
LM Arena Leaderboard
https://lmarena.ai/leaderboard
TechCrunch: Google adds image-to-video generation capability to Veo 3
https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/10/google-adds-image-to-video-generation-capability-to-veo-3/
Windsurf's CEO goes to Google; OpenAI's acquisition falls apart
https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/windsurfs-ceo-goes-to-google-openais-acquisition-falls-apart/
Every: Vibe Check: OpenAI Enters the Browser Wars With ChatGPT Agent
https://every.to/vibe-check/vibe-check-openai-enters-the-browser-wars-with-chatgpt-agent
TechCrunch: AWS is launching an AI agent marketplace next week with Anthropic as a partner
TagsArtificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, AI Browsers, Web Navigation, Perplexity Comet, Grok 4, ChatGPT Agent, Context Engineering, AI Tools, Agentic Browsers, Video Generation, Google Veo 3, Windsurf Acquisition
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1 hr 2 min
EP28: AI-Based Transcriptions Transform Genealogy, FamilySearch Interview with David Ouimette, Grok 4's Anticipated Release, Apple Changes Its AI Strategy
Show notes
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore how AI-based transcriptions are revolutionizing genealogical research across the industry. They examine FamilySearch's Full-Text Search expansion to over 1.25 billion records and Ancestry's new document transcription tool.
The episode features an exclusive interview with David Ouimette from FamilySearch, who reveals how they're making previously unsearchable handwritten documents accessible through AI technology.
This week's Tip of the Week demonstrates Dan Maloney's innovative Genealogy Assistant HTR tool for transcribing multiple documents simultaneously.
In RapidFire, they discuss Grok 4's anticipated release, Apple's shift to integrate ChatGPT and Claude rather than develop their own AI, and Google Photos' new natural language search capabilities powered by Gemini.
Timestamps:
In the News:
03:23 AI Transcriptions Everywhere: The New Normal in Genealogy
25:33 Building AI Apps with Claude
Interview:
29:34 David Ouimette on FamilySearch's AI Journey
RapidFire:
49:27 Grok 4 Release Announcement
51:35 Apple Pivots to Third-Party AI Integration
56:02 Google Photos Adds Natural Language Search
Resource Links
Expanded Access to Full-Text Search
https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/full-text-search-experimental-ai
Ancestry announces the Beta launch of its new document transcription feature
https://www.ancestry.com/c/ancestry-blog/ancestry-news/document-transcription-feature
Snagit Screen Capture
https://www.techsmith.com/snagit
Windows Snipping Tool
Screenshots or screen recordings on Mac
https://support.apple.com/en-hk/guide/mac-help/mh26782/mac
Dan Maloney's AI Handwritten Text Recognition Tool
https://www.genea.ca/htr-tool/
Anthropic: Build and share AI-powered apps with Claude
https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-powered-artifacts
Anthropic now lets you make apps right from its Claude AI chatbot
https://www.theverge.com/news/693342/anthropic-claude-ai-apps-artifact
Grok 4 release livestream on Wednesday at 8pm PT
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1942325820170907915
Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok launches into antisemitic rant amid updates
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/07/08/elon-musk-grok-ai-antisemitism/
Apple's Original AI announcement on June 10, 2024
https://www.apple.com/ca/newsroom/2024/06/introducing-apple-intelligence-for-iphone-ipad-and-mac/
Apple's Integrates ChatGPT into iPhones
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/iphone/iph00fd3c8c2/ios
Apple Weighs Using Anthropic or OpenAI to Power Siri in Major Reversal
Google Resumes Rollout of AI-Based 'Ask Photos' Image Search
https://petapixel.com/2025/06/27/google-resumes-rollout-of-ai-based-ask-photos-image-search/
Google Product Manager says Ask Photos paused for quality issues
https://x.com/jamieasp/status/1929895255844745284
Ask Photos coming to more Google Photos users
https://blog.google/products/photos/updates-ask-photos-search/
Ask Photos' Original Announcement May 14, 2024
https://petapixel.com/2024/05/14/gemini-powered-ask-photos-brings-an-ai-assistant-to-google-photos/
Tags
Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, AI Transcription, FamilySearch, Ancestry, Document Analysis, Handwritten Text Recognition, Full-Text Search, Screen Capture Tools, Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, OCR Technology, Dan Maloney, Genealogy Assistant, API Keys, Claude AI, Anthropic, Google Photos, Apple Intelligence, Grok AI, David Ouimette, Truth Sets, Research Tools
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1 hr 13 min
EP27: AI Image Restoration Concerns, Perplexity's Future, Copyright Cases Are Shaping The Future of AI, Project Workspaces Help You Stay Organized
Show notes
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little examine the controversial rise of AI image "restoration" and discuss how entirely new images are being generated, rather than the original photos being restored. This is raising concerns about the preservation of authentic family photos.
They discuss Mark's reconsideration of canceling his Perplexity subscription after rediscovering its unique strengths for supporting research.
The hosts analyze recent court rulings that permit AI training on legally acquired content, plus Disney's ongoing case against Midjourney.
This week's Tip of the Week explores how project workspaces in ChatGPT and Claude can greatly simplify your genealogical research.
In RapidFire, the hosts cover Meta's aggressive AI hiring spree, the proliferation of AI tools in everyday software, including a new genealogy transcription tool from Dan Maloney, and the importance of reading AI news critically.
Timestamps:
In the News:
06:50 The Pros and Cons of "Restoring" Family Photos with AI
23:58 Mark is Cancelling Perplexity... Maybe
32:33 AI Copyright Cases Are Starting to Work Their Way Through the Courts
Tip of the Week:
40:09 How Project Workspaces Help Genealogists Stay Organized
RapidFire:
48:51 Meta Goes on a Hiring Spree
56:09 AI Is Everywhere!
01:06:00 Reading AI News Responsibly
Resource Links
OpenAI: Introducing 4o Image Generation
https://openai.com/index/introducing-4o-image-generation/
Perplexity https://www.perplexity.ai/
How does Perplexity work?
https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/10352895-how-does-perplexity-work
Anthropic wins key US ruling on AI training in authors' copyright lawsuit https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/anthropic-wins-key-ruling-ai-authors-copyright-lawsuit-2025-06-24/
Meta wins AI copyright lawsuit as US judge rules against authors https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jun/26/meta-wins-ai-copyright-lawsuit-as-us-judge-rules-against-authors
Disney, Universal sue image creator Midjourney for copyright infringement https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/disney-universal-sue-image-creator-midjourney-copyright-infringement-2025-06-11/
Disney and Universal Sue A.I. Firm for Copyright Infringement https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/11/business/media/disney-universal-midjourney-ai.html
Projects in ChatGPT
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/10169521-projects-in-chatgpt
Meta shares hit all-time high as Mark Zuckerberg goes on AI hiring blitz https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/30/meta-hits-all-time-mark-zuckerberg-ai-blitz.html
Here's What Mark Zuckerberg Is Offering Top AI Talent
https://www.wired.com/story/mark-zuckerberg-meta-offer-top-ai-talent-300-million/
Genealogy Assistant AI Handwritten Text Recognition Tool
https://www.genea.ca/htr-tool/
Borland Genetics
Illusion of Thinking
https://machinelearning.apple.com/research/illusion-of-thinking
Simon Willison: Seven replies to the viral Apple reasoning paper -- and why they fall short
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/15/viral-apple-reasoning-paper/
MIT: Your Brain on ChatGPT
https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/your-brain-on-chatgpt/overview/
MIT researchers say using ChatGPT can rot your brain. The truth is a little more complicated https://theconversation.com/mit-researchers-say-using-chatgpt-can-rot-your-brain-the-truth-is-a-little-more-complicated-259450
Guiding Principles for Responsible AI in Genealogy
Tags
Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, AI Tools, Image Generation, AI Ethics, Perplexity, ChatGPT, Claude, Meta, Copyright Law, AI Training, Photo Restoration, Project Management, AI Development, Research Tools, Responsible AI Use, GRIP, AI News Analysis, Vibe Coding, Coalition for Responsible AI in Genealogy, AI Hiring, Dan Maloney, Handwritten Text Recognition
-
1 hr 2 min
EP26: Gemini and Claude Updates, RootsTech Panel on Responsible AI, Interview with Jessica Taylor of Legacy Tree Genealogists, ChatGPT 5 Announcement
Show notes
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little discuss recent updates from Google Gemini and Anthropic Claude that are reshaping AI capabilities for genealogists. Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro with its massive context window and Claude 4's hybrid reasoning models that excels at both writing and document analysis.
They share insights from the RootsTech panel on responsible AI use in genealogy, and introduce the Coalition's five core principles for the response use of AI. The episode features an interview with Jessica Taylor, president of Legacy Tree Genealogists, who discusses how her company is thoughtfully experimenting with AI tools.
In RapidFire, they preview ChatGPT 5's anticipated summer release, Meta's $14 billion acquisition to stay competitive, and Adobe Acrobat AI's new multi-document capabilities.
Timestamps:
In the News:
03:45 Google Gemini 2.5 Pro: Massive Context Windows Transform Document Analysis
15:09 Claude 4 Opus and Sonnet: Hybrid Reasoning Models for Writing and Research
26:30 RootsTech Panel: Coalition for Responsible AI in Genealogy
Interview:
31:28 Jessica Taylor, CEO of Legacy Tree Genealogists, on her cautious approach to AI Adoption
RapidFire:
45:07 ChatGPT 5 Coming Soon: One Model to Rule Them All
51:08 Meta's $14.8 Billion Scale AI Acquisition
56:42 Adobe Acrobat AI Assistant Adds Multi-Document Analysis
Resource Links
Google I/O Conference Highlights
https://blog.google/technology/ai/google-io-2025-all-our-announcements/
Anthropic Announces Claude 4
https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-4
Anthropic's new Claude 4 AI models can reason over many steps
https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/22/anthropics-new-claude-4-ai-models-can-reason-over-many-steps/
Coalition for Responsible AI in Genealogy
Jessica M. Taylor
https://www.apgen.org/users/jessica-m-taylor
Legacy Tree Genealogists
Rootstech
https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/
ChatGPT 5 is Coming Soon
https://www.tomsguide.com/ai/chatgpt/chatgpt-5-is-coming-soon-heres-what-we-know
Meta's $14.8 billion Scale AI deal latest test of AI partnerships
A frustrated Zuckerberg makes his biggest AI bet
Adobe upgrades Acrobat AI chatbot to add multi-document analysis
https://www.androidauthority.com/adobe-ai-assistant-acrobat-3451988/
Tags
Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, AI Tools, Google Gemini, Claude AI, OpenAI, ChatGPT, Meta AI, Adobe Acrobat, Responsible AI, Coalition for Responsible AI in Genealogy, RootsTech, AI Ethics, Document Analysis, AI Writing Tools, Hybrid Reasoning Models, Context Windows, Professional Genealogy, Legacy Tree Genealogists, Jessica Taylor, AI Integration, Multi-Document Analysis, AI Acquisitions
-
1 hr 9 min
EP25: ChatGPT 4o Transforms Image Generation, Jarrett Ross on AI Facial Recognition, Enhanced Image Analysis with O3
Show notes
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore OpenAI's revolutionary update to ChatGPT 4o's image generation capabilities, which now creates photorealistic images with accurate text and consistent characters across multiple images.
They interview Jarrett Ross from The GeneaVlogger YouTube channel, who shares how he uses AI in his business and in his projects, including an innovative facial recognition project that identifies people in historical photographs from Poland.
The hosts also examine OpenAI's O3 model's groundbreaking image analysis abilities, demonstrating how it can now automatically zoom in on handwritten text and reason through complex photographic analysis.
This episode showcases how AI image tools are transforming genealogical research while emphasizing the importance of responsible use.
Timestamps:
In the News:
06:26 ChatGPT 4o Image Generation: Photorealism and Text Accuracy Revolution
Interview
30:48 Interview with Jarrett Ross: AI Facial Recognition in Genealogy
RapidFire:
52:01 ChatGPT O3: Advanced Image Analysis with Reasoning Capabilities
Resource Links:
ChatGPT 4o Image Generation
https://openai.com/index/introducing-4o-image-generation/
What OpenAI Did -- Ethan Mollick
https://www.oneusefulthing.org/p/what-openai-did
The GeneaVlogger YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm_QNoNtgi2Sk4H9Y2SInmg
OpenAI Releases new o3 and o4 Mini models
https://openai.com/index/introducing-o3-and-o4-mini/
On Jagged AGI: o3, Gemini 2.5, and everything after -- Ethan Mollick
https://www.oneusefulthing.org/p/on-jagged-agi-o3-gemini-25-and-everything
Tags:
Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, OpenAI, ChatGPT, Image Generation, Facial Recognition, Photo Analysis, AI Tools, GeneaVlogger, Jarrett Ross, Jewish Genealogy, Historical Photos, Document Analysis, OCR Technology, Handwriting Recognition, Photo Restoration, AI Ethics, Responsible AI Use, Image Authentication, DALL-E, O3 Model, Reasoning Models, Archive Photos, Community Projects
-
55 min
EP24: DeepSeek AI Shakes The World, FamilySearch Full-Text Turns One, Microsoft and Google Drop AI Prices, Instructional vs. Reasoning Models
Show notes
Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore how DeepSeek has dramatically changed the AI landscape by releasing a powerful, inexpensive, open-source model that challenges American dominance in AI.
They celebrate the first anniversary of FamilySearch's Full-Text Search, which has expanded from three collections to three thousand in just one-year, revolutionizing access to billions of previously unsearchable records.
Mark and Steve examine how Google and Microsoft are integrating AI into their productivity platforms, making these tools accessible to mainstream family historians at minimal cost.
This week's Tip of the Week demystifies the difference between instructional and reasoning AI models, helping genealogists choose the right tool for the right job.
In RapidFire, they discuss the ambitious $500 billion Project Stargate, major model updates from Gemini and Grok, and how Deep Research capabilities are becoming standard across all AI platforms.
Timestamps:
In the News:
04:34 DeepSeek Shakes the AI World: Game-Changing Model from China
15:51 FamilySearch Full-Text Search Turns One: From Thousands to Billions of Records
23:33 Google and Microsoft Go All-In: AI Integrated into Workspace Tools
Tip of the Week:
29:22 Know Your Model: Understanding Instructional vs. Reasoning AI
RapidFire:
42:25 The Stargate Project: $500 Billion AI Infrastructure Initiative
45:38 Major Model Updates: Gemini 2.0 and Grok 3 Beta Released
48:41 Deep Research Becomes Industry Standard: Available Across All Major Platforms
Resource Links:
DeepSeek Backgrounder
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeepSeek
Family Search Free Text Search
https://www.familysearch.org/search/full-text/collection/list
Free Text Search of Ireland, Properties, from 1298 to 1975
https://www.familysearch.org/search/full-text/collection/M9J1-ZYL
Copilot is now included in Microsoft 365 Personal and Family
Google AI now Included in Workspace Plans
https://workspace.google.com/blog/product-announcements/empowering-businesses-with-AI
Introducing OpenAI o1
OpenAI o3-mini
https://openai.com/index/openai-o3-mini/
Announcing The Stargate Project
https://openai.com/index/announcing-the-stargate-project/
Gemini 2.0 is now available to everyone
https://blog.google/technology/google-deepmind/gemini-model-updates-february-2025/
Grok 3 Beta — The Age of Reasoning Agents
Try Deep Research
https://blog.google/products/gemini/google-gemini-deep-research/
Introducing deep research from OpenAI
https://openai.com/index/introducing-deep-research/
Introducing Perplexity Deep Research
https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/introducing-perplexity-deep-research
Tags:
Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Genealogy, Family History, DeepSeek, AI Models, FamilySearch, Full-Text Search, Open Source AI, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Reasoning Models, Instructional Models, Language Models, Stargate Project, AI Infrastructure, Research Tools, Deep Research, AI Capabilities
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