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| Candy-Lea Chickite at the Evergreen Senior Centre, giving a talk on AI and Genealogy. |
On Thursday I wrote on Facebook:
I tell you my Courtenay & Comox friends of a certain age (55+), you gotta check out the local Evergreen Club (Seniors' Centre)! Ed has been keeping his brain in throttle playing Bridge (probably 15 years) and now doing an interdenominational Bible Study (just the Bible) and playing Scrabble-- maybe chess in a while, he is checking that out. I've been attending the Thursday morning Gospel Singing group and having a great time (along with my pal, Pauline) singing the rousing oldie hymns. (Today we did a whole pack of Easter-related ones). Every 3rd Thursday afternoon I attend the Genealogy group. Today we had a fascinating presentation (with an active whiteboard with a powerpoint and video.
Today's Topic was: Uncovering the Past: How AI Is Transforming My Genealogical Research (and how it could change yours too!) Presented by Candy-Lea Chickite
How Artificial Intelligence (AI) can transform the way we explore family history.
Candy-Lea discussed how AI tools assist in various aspects of genealogical research such as:
*Transcribing Documents:
*Summarizing Information
*Editing
*Analyzing Documents and Images
*Conducting In-depth Research
There was something for seasoned genealogists or peeps just beginning to trace their lineage. I found it intriguing and will be using AI to enhance my research.
Candy-Lea is a dedicated genealogical researcher with over 35 years of experience. While her own ancestry traces back to the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, she has developed a deep expertise in local First Nations research. Through the paternal lineage of both her children and her second husband—who, in an interesting twist, is related to her first husband—she has explored rich ancestral connections to Cape Mudge and the Laichkwiltach Nation.
Her passion for genealogy is the perfect fusion of her childhood dreams: to become either a detective or a writer of short stories. From the days of poring over books in libraries, handwriting letters, and painstakingly scrolling through unindexed microfilm reels, to the digital revolution of computers, the Internet, and now artificial intelligence, she has witnessed a remarkable evolution in research methods. And she can’t wait to see what the future holds. She truly conveyed that enthusiasm to me.
Candy-Lea gave me permission to share her story and snap her photo also gave us a print-out with a number of links related to using AI to do our own explorations.
One of the first items Candy Lea spoke about was the experimental FamilySearch Labs...
🧬 What is FamilySearch Labs?
FamilySearch Labs is a part of the FamilySearch website where new tools and technologies are tested before they’re officially launched. Think of it as a "sneak peek" at helpful features being developed to make genealogy research easier and more powerful—especially with the help of AI (artificial intelligence).
Some of these experimental tools can:
- Automatically read and transcribe handwritten historical documents
- Help find records that may match your ancestors, even if the spelling is off
- Suggest family connections you might not have noticed
Anyone with a free FamilySearch account can try out these tools. They're user-friendly and often include feedback options so you can share your experience or ask for help.
Discolosure: I will be using ChatGPT in writing and editing blog posts related to AI and Genealogy
Tips from the Wise:
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| Margaret Fraser Flatt, about 1890. My Great-Grandmother. |
Our Genealogy group leader suggests that we should keep it simple and start research with just one family member (example, your paternal grandmother). Keep focused and exploring that one person's genealogy as thoroughly as you wish.
Candy-Lea Chickite suggests that you explore ONE AI tool at a time, learn how it works and try out the applications, before moving on to learn about another tool.
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