3 Cool Tools

• News
  • Google latest report on AI water use https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/infrastructure/measuring-the-environmental-impact-of-ai-inference

• RootsMagic 11
  • New version has first ‘draft’ of AI features for stand along genealogy software
  • AI Prompt Builder – uses data in your RootsMagic tree to write a custom AI prompt to copy to ChapGPT, etc.
  • Note – it doesn’t request research

• FamilySearch Full Text Search
  • Has moved out of labs
  • Find in Search menu in main website
  • New features:
    • AI-generated summaries of records, including names and relationships.
    • Search fields for year, place, and image group number (DGS).
    • Almost 2 billion records from various countries and languages.
    • Ability to search by specific collections, which are grouped using digitization metadata.
    • Automatic translation of record summaries into your preferred language.

• Perplexity Comet
  • LLM built into the Chrome web browser.  The future of AI?  
  • Can remember and compare things across multiple tabs – not just things entered in the chat interface
  • Can, if you let it, access your google email and calendar.
  • Can automate tasks
  • Can ‘use’ your browser – open tabs, click items, fill out forms

• Resources
  • The Family History AI Show, by Mark Thompson & Steve Little
  • Genealogy and Artificial Intelligence Facebook Group
  • Legacy Family Tree Webinars

Generating Images with AI

• Why Images Matter in Genealogy
  • Genealogy often lacks photographs of earlier generations.
  • AI-generated visuals help illustrate stories where no images exist.
  • Engages younger family members and makes history feel more relatable.
• Why Images Matter in Genealogy
  • Genealogy often lacks photographs of earlier generations.
  • AI-generated visuals help illustrate stories where no images exist.
  • Engages younger family members and makes history feel more relatable.
• Applications
  • Storytelling: Pair AI illustrations with written family histories.
  • Family History Books: Fill in gaps when photos don’t exist.
  • Reunion Displays: Create immersive posters or slideshows.
  • Youth Engagement: Use AI visuals to spark curiosity in younger relatives.
  • Genealogy Society Presentations: Illustrate local history or migration stories.
• AI Image Generators
  • DALL·E (via ChatGPT), MidJourney, Stable Diffusion, Adobe Firefly, Google Gemini, Canva, Leonardo AI
• Prompt Writing Tips
  • Be specific: time period, clothing, setting, mood.
  • Example: “Create an image of a 19th-century Swedish farm family standing outside their wooden home, midsummer celebration.”
  • Try multiple prompts, adjust style, compare results.
  • Consider choosing artistic vs. realistic styles depending on project.
  • Try imageprompt.org

• Ethical and Practical Considerations
  • Historical Accuracy vs. Artistic Imagination
  • AI portraits are representations, not authentic likenesses.
  • Scenes may capture “the feel” of an era, not exact details.
• Transparency
  • Always label images as AI-generated.
  • Use captions like “AI-generated illustration of…”.
• Avoiding Misrepresentation
  • Don’t pass off AI images as real historical evidence.
• Copyright & Usage Rights
  • Most tools allow personal/family history use, but check terms before publishing widely.

• News
  • New ChatGPT5
  • Lisa Louise Cooke podcast/video with prompts: https://lisalouisecooke.com/2025/07/18/ai-terms-prompts/

• AI-Assisted Writing
• It’s everywhere!
• Chatbots, like ChapGPT
• Embedded in Word 365 and Google docs
• Not just plain text outputs
  • Different formats – document, presentation slides, tri-fold brochure
  • Downloadable doc, pdf, xls files

• Clearly OK applications
  • Bread-and-butter letters, like thank you or condolence notes
  • Work templates, like meeting minutes, project trackers, etc built in to Word and Google docs
  • Ancestor profile based on genealogy software output
  • Event schedule from outline
  • First draft from outline

• Tips
  • Can ask for help getting started
  • Can include guidance in prompt – length, tone, audience, purpose, specific things to include
  • Always read and tweak, either with additional prompts or direct edits

• Gray areas
  • No-input writing
  • Final draft polishing
  • New ideas

• Ethical issues, again
  • Accuracy
  • Copyright 
  • Disclosure

• Resources
  • History Association Guidelines: https://www.historians.org/resource/guiding-principles-for-artificial-intelligence-in-history-education/
  • New York Times Article on Hallucinations: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/technology/ai-chatbots-delusions-chatgpt.html?searchResultPosition=1
  • AI for Ancestor Profiles: https://www.knowwhowearsthegenesinyourfamily.com/blog/ai-and-family-history-creating-a-perfect-ancestor-biography-using-chatgpt
  • Disclose use or not? : https://familylocket.com/disclosing-use-of-ai-for-writing-assistance-in-genealogy/
  • The Family History AI Show, by Mark Thompson & Steve Little
  • Genealogy and Artificial Intelligence Facebook Group
  • RootsTech: https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/