🤔Still confused about AI for family history? Let's fix that

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Hi Reader,

At a recent genealogy presentation I gave, the discussion turned to AI and how to actually use it in genealogy research.

I was fascinated and a bit surprise that about 75% of the room was not exploring or using AI at all. The rest were interested but unsure what AI can actually work for us as researchers.

Here's the truth: AI won't find your great-grandmother's maiden name, but it can absolutely make your research more efficient.

Let me show you exactly what I mean...

🎬 CHECK OUT THE BLOG & VIDEO!

THE AI REALITY CHECK

I covered this exact topic in one of my posts that's been getting a lot of attention lately: "AI Won't Find Your Great-Grandmother's Maiden Name—But Here Are 4 Ways It Will Improve Your Family Research"

The bottom line?

AI is a research assistant, not a replacement for good genealogy methodology. There are specific tasks it handles brilliantly—and others where it falls completely flat.

Read the full post to discover the 4 specific ways AI can actually speed up your research (plus the 3 things it cannot do, no matter what the hype says).

📝 Read: AI Won't Find Your Great-Grandmother's Maiden Name—But Here Are 4 Ways It Will Improve Your Family Research

🎬Watch the companion video:"AI in Genealogy Research: What It Can Do & What It Can't" for examples of AI prompts that actually work.

📅 Upcoming & Noteworthy

🎥 YouTube Live - September 11th @ 4:00 PM Eastern: Join me and The Photo Managers for "What Is That Family Photo REALLY Telling You?" Youtube Live.

Celebrate Save Your Photos Month as we look at real family photos and analyze what clothing, backgrounds, and poses reveal about your ancestors' lives. If you've ever wondered who those people in old photos really were, this session will change how you look at your collection.

Because here's the thing: photos capture the relationships and life details that official records never documented.

🎯QUICK WIN

The 5-Minute AI Test

Try this simple experiment this week:

Pick one research problem you've been stuck on
Open ChatGPT or Claude (both have free versions)
Ask this specific prompt: "I'm researching [ancestor's name] who lived in [location] around [time period]. I'm stuck because [specific problem]. What alternative research strategies should I consider?"
Evaluate the suggestions using your genealogy knowledge

Don't expect AI to solve the mystery—expect it to suggest angles you might not have considered. The suggestions still require your expertise to execute properly..

💡 GENEALOGY TIP OF THE WEEK

The Biggest AI Mistake Genealogists Make

The biggest mistake I see people make with AI is treating it like Google—asking vague questions and expecting specific answers.

"Help me find my ancestor" gets you generic advice that could apply to anyone. But if you approach AI like you would a knowledgeable research assistant, giving it context and specific problems to work with, the suggestions become much more useful.

The secret is being as specific with AI as you would be with a human genealogist. Give it the details, explain what you've already tried, and ask targeted questions about your next steps.

When you shift your approach this way, AI becomes a genuinely helpful brainstorming partner for your research strategy—not a magic genealogy solver, but a tool that helps you think through problems more systematically.

I'm curious: What questions do you have about using AI in your genealogy research? Hit reply and let me know—I'm collecting questions for future content and might feature your question (anonymously) in an upcoming video or post.

Whether you're AI-curious or AI-skeptical, I'd love to hear your perspective.

Talk soon,

Lisa

P.S. Remember—Thursday's YouTube Live - What Is That Family Photo REALLY Telling You? - about photos and genealogy clues.