Stop getting generic, surface-level answers from AI! The secret to breaking brick walls isn’t just asking questions—it’s assigning Roles. In this video, discover how telling AI to “act as” a professional archivist, DNA expert, or social historian transforms it from a basic chatbot into a specialized research partner.
We reveal the top 5 personas that unlock deeper historical context, decipher impossible handwriting, and analyze evidence with professional rigor. Don’t just chat with AI; build your own expert research team. Watch now to revolutionize your family history strategy.
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Author’s Note: I want to be transparent that this material – DESC Tech Tip – Using Roles for AI Prompts – was created in part with the help of an artificial intelligence (AI) language model – Gemini Pro 3. The AI assisted in generating an early draft of the article, but every paragraph was subsequently reviewed, edited, and refined by me. The final content is the result of extensive human curation and creativity. I am proud to present this work and assure readers that while AI was a tool in the process, the story, style, and substance have been carefully shaped by the author.
Stop getting generic, surface-level answers from AI! The secret to breaking brick walls isn’t just asking questions—it’s assigning Roles. In this video, discover how telling AI to “act as” a professional archivist, DNA expert, or social historian transforms it from a basic chatbot into a specialized research partner.
We reveal the top 5 personas that unlock deeper historical context, decipher impossible handwriting, and analyze evidence with professional rigor. Don’t just chat with AI; build your own expert research team. Watch now to revolutionize your family history strategy.
* * *
Author’s Note: I want to be transparent that this material – DESC Tech Tip – Using Roles for AI Prompts – was created in part with the help of an artificial intelligence (AI) language model – Gemini Pro 3. The AI assisted in generating an early draft of the article, but every paragraph was subsequently reviewed, edited, and refined by me. The final content is the result of extensive human curation and creativity. I am proud to present this work and assure readers that while AI was a tool in the process, the story, style, and substance have been carefully shaped by the author.
From Problem to Solution: A Case Study Approach to Using AI in Genealogy
Artificial intelligence is changing the way genealogists work—but how do you move beyond tips and tricks to apply AI in a sound, methodical way? In this session, Andrew Redfern demonstrates how a case study approach provides the answer. Using real examples, he walks through the stages of tackling a genealogical problem with AI, showing how tools can assist with transcription, analysis, correlation of evidence, and presentation of findings. Rather than treating AI as a shortcut, Andrew highlights how to integrate it into the established genealogical research cycle—problem definition, source gathering, analysis, and conclusion. Attendees will see how AI can clarify complex evidence, save time on repetitive tasks, and support storytelling, while still requiring human expertise and critical thinking. By the end of the session, participants will have a practical framework they can adapt to their own research problems, ensuring that AI becomes a trusted partner in genealogical methodology.
Artificial intelligence is changing the way genealogists work—but how do you move beyond tips and tricks to apply AI in a sound, methodical way? In this session, Andrew Redfern demonstrates how a case study approach provides the answer. Using real examples, he walks through the stages of tackling a genealogical problem with AI, showing how tools can assist with transcription, analysis, correlation of evidence, and presentation of findings. Rather than treating AI as a shortcut, Andrew highlights how to integrate it into the established genealogical research cycle—problem definition, source gathering, analysis, and conclusion. Attendees will see how AI can clarify complex evidence, save time on repetitive tasks, and support storytelling, while still requiring human expertise and critical thinking. By the end of the session, participants will have a practical framework they can adapt to their own research problems, ensuring that AI becomes a trusted partner in genealogical methodology.
Tracing an Ancestor’s Journey with ChatGPT: Unraveling Family History with AI
Explore how AI technology, exemplified by ChatGPT, can revolutionize your family history, by embarking on a journey through an ancestor’s life, leveraging AI to uncover his story and shed light on the broader implications for genealogical research!
Explore how AI technology, exemplified by ChatGPT, can revolutionize your family history, by embarking on a journey through an ancestor’s life, leveraging AI to uncover his story and shed light on the broader implications for genealogical research!
AI as Partner, Not Replacement: Human-Led Research Planning in the Sally Keaton Case
This lecture explores how modern AI tools can assist genealogical research planning through the case of Sally Keaton, where the objective was to identify her children using limited historical records and DNA evidence. The presentation demonstrates how to structure effective research plans with AI assistance, covering essential elements including clear objectives, summaries of known facts, working hypotheses, identified sources, and prioritized strategies. Using Sally Keaton’s case as the central example, the lecture showcases practical AI tools, such as side-by-side editors: Canvas (ChatGPT and Gemini) and Artifacts (Claude); also advanced capabilities including reasoning models and organizational tools like ChatGPT’s Projects, Claude’s Projects, Perplexity’s Spaces, and Gemini Gems. While AI can create research plans on its own, human-AI collaboration produces better results. When researchers guide and refine AI-generated strategies instead of using fully automated planning, they achieve more accurate results.
This lecture explores how modern AI tools can assist genealogical research planning through the case of Sally Keaton, where the objective was to identify her children using limited historical records and DNA evidence. The presentation demonstrates how to structure effective research plans with AI assistance, covering essential elements including clear objectives, summaries of known facts, working hypotheses, identified sources, and prioritized strategies. Using Sally Keaton’s case as the central example, the lecture showcases practical AI tools, such as side-by-side editors: Canvas (ChatGPT and Gemini) and Artifacts (Claude); also advanced capabilities including reasoning models and organizational tools like ChatGPT’s Projects, Claude’s Projects, Perplexity’s Spaces, and Gemini Gems. While AI can create research plans on its own, human-AI collaboration produces better results. When researchers guide and refine AI-generated strategies instead of using fully automated planning, they achieve more accurate results.
Genealogy Meets the Internet Archive and AI: A Comprehensive Review
Learn to harness the Internet Archive’s free digital library—a treasure trove of digitized family histories, city directories, census and church records—to enrich your genealogy research. Learn how to build complex prompts to build an index of surnames on a 400 page genealogy book from 1898. Learn how to extract a list of migration routes from the same book, organized by surname, then in generation order, and placed in an Excel file. With the help of AI, you can get the most out of Internet Archive.
Learn to harness the Internet Archive’s free digital library—a treasure trove of digitized family histories, city directories, census and church records—to enrich your genealogy research. Learn how to build complex prompts to build an index of surnames on a 400 page genealogy book from 1898. Learn how to extract a list of migration routes from the same book, organized by surname, then in generation order, and placed in an Excel file. With the help of AI, you can get the most out of Internet Archive.
Learn how to use artificial intelligence to help find important family information, understand old documents, and craft compelling family stories to support your family history research. This webinar will introduce you to the best uses of AI in genealogy today and give a peek behind the curtain of what genealogists can look forward to from AI advancements in 2026.
Learn how to use artificial intelligence to help find important family information, understand old documents, and craft compelling family stories to support your family history research. This webinar will introduce you to the best uses of AI in genealogy today and give a peek behind the curtain of what genealogists can look forward to from AI advancements in 2026.
Gedcom files are useful for transferring family tree data but they aren’t easy to read or work with on their own. In this TechZone, we’ll explain how you can use AI to easily extract information from a gedcom file and create word documents or spreadsheet.
Gedcom files are useful for transferring family tree data but they aren’t easy to read or work with on their own. In this TechZone, we’ll explain how you can use AI to easily extract information from a gedcom file and create word documents or spreadsheet.
Organize Digital and Digitized Photos & Documents Using AI
Excire Photo 2024 is a new program that lets you automatically add keywords and your own custom ones; search for one or more images by free text, keyword(s), groups or individual people; identified faces; GPS locations; event; main colour in an image; by camera model, camera lens, lens focal length used, shutter speed used, and more. All of this metadata is written directly to your files or to XMP sidecar files, so the information stays with your images, not trapped in a proprietary database. This feature rich program is available for Windows and MacOS, even on M1 and later processor chips. Learn how this software can relieve you of much time and effort in organizing your digital images.
Excire Photo 2024 is a new program that lets you automatically add keywords and your own custom ones; search for one or more images by free text, keyword(s), groups or individual people; identified faces; GPS locations; event; main colour in an image; by camera model, camera lens, lens focal length used, shutter speed used, and more. All of this metadata is written directly to your files or to XMP sidecar files, so the information stays with your images, not trapped in a proprietary database. This feature rich program is available for Windows and MacOS, even on M1 and later processor chips. Learn how this software can relieve you of much time and effort in organizing your digital images.
Leyes de Indias: Leyes coloniales españolas y los registros que generaron
Thu, February 12 2026: 14:00 UTC
Desde la planificación urbanística hasta las relaciones con los nativos, «Las Leyes de Las Indias» gobernaron las colonias españolas de América del Norte y más allá, y crearon registros únicos para la investigación de cualquier persona con vínculos ancestrales con la América española.
Los subtítulos y la voz de este vídeo se han doblado al español utilizando IA.
Desde la planificación urbanística hasta las relaciones con los nativos, «Las Leyes de Las Indias» gobernaron las colonias españolas de América del Norte y más allá, y crearon registros únicos para la investigación de cualquier persona con vínculos ancestrales con la América española.
Los subtítulos y la voz de este vídeo se han doblado al español utilizando IA.
Breaking the 1870 Brick Wall: Comprehensive Strategies for Tracing Formerly Enslaved African American Ancestors
Fri, February 13 2026: 19:00 UTC
Overcoming the 1870 brick wall in African American genealogy is challenging, but possible. This session presents a clear, step-by-step roadmap for tracing formerly enslaved ancestors using the Genealogical Proof Method. Learn how to reconstruct the freedmen generation, identify potential enslavers, and mine enslaver records for hidden ancestral clues. We’ll explore records on Ancestry and FamilySearch, including census and vital records, Freedmen’s Bureau files, cohabitation records, and estate records. If you’re ready to move beyond 1870 and build a fuller picture of your family’s past, this webinar will equip you with the tools and confidence to begin.
Overcoming the 1870 brick wall in African American genealogy is challenging, but possible. This session presents a clear, step-by-step roadmap for tracing formerly enslaved ancestors using the Genealogical Proof Method. Learn how to reconstruct the freedmen generation, identify potential enslavers, and mine enslaver records for hidden ancestral clues. We’ll explore records on Ancestry and FamilySearch, including census and vital records, Freedmen’s Bureau files, cohabitation records, and estate records. If you’re ready to move beyond 1870 and build a fuller picture of your family’s past, this webinar will equip you with the tools and confidence to begin.
Si las lápidas pudieran hablar, tendrían muchas historias que contar. Pero no pueden, por eso BillionGraves es la mejor alternativa. BillionGraves es la mayor base de datos del mundo sobre cementerios, conectada a un sistema GPS. Cuando se toman fotos con la aplicación BillionGraves en el teléfono, cada lápida se marca automáticamente con una posición GPS. A continuación, los datos son transcritos por voluntarios, transferidos a planos de cementerios y almacenados en los sitios web BillionGraves, FamilySearch y MyHeritage para millones de familias de todo el mundo y para las generaciones futuras.
Los subtítulos y la voz de este vídeo se han doblado al español utilizando IA.
Si las lápidas pudieran hablar, tendrían muchas historias que contar. Pero no pueden, por eso BillionGraves es la mejor alternativa. BillionGraves es la mayor base de datos del mundo sobre cementerios, conectada a un sistema GPS. Cuando se toman fotos con la aplicación BillionGraves en el teléfono, cada lápida se marca automáticamente con una posición GPS. A continuación, los datos son transcritos por voluntarios, transferidos a planos de cementerios y almacenados en los sitios web BillionGraves, FamilySearch y MyHeritage para millones de familias de todo el mundo y para las generaciones futuras.
Los subtítulos y la voz de este vídeo se han doblado al español utilizando IA.
Lineage in Context: Creating a Compelling Kinship-Determination Project
Wed, February 18 2026: 1:00 UTC
Turn your research into a meaningful family narrative that meets BCG certification requirements. This session will demonstrate how to write a structured narrative lineage that both proves kinship and details the history of each couple. Topics include selecting an appropriate family line, placing families in context, organizing and analyzing evidence, meeting BCG’s standards, and documenting biographical details.
Turn your research into a meaningful family narrative that meets BCG certification requirements. This session will demonstrate how to write a structured narrative lineage that both proves kinship and details the history of each couple. Topics include selecting an appropriate family line, placing families in context, organizing and analyzing evidence, meeting BCG’s standards, and documenting biographical details.
DNA in Action 1 of 6: Proving Your Pedigree with DNA
Wed, February 18 2026: 19:00 UTC
The series begins with sound genealogy methodology and principles and then explains their logical extensions when using autosomal DNA as a source of information to answer focused research questions. Karen will use a case example to prove the documented ancestors are consistent with the genetic evidence on a selected ancestral line. This lecture focuses on methodology and decision-making.
The series begins with sound genealogy methodology and principles and then explains their logical extensions when using autosomal DNA as a source of information to answer focused research questions. Karen will use a case example to prove the documented ancestors are consistent with the genetic evidence on a selected ancestral line. This lecture focuses on methodology and decision-making.
Si les pierres tombales pouvaient parler, elles auraient beaucoup d’histoires à raconter. Mais elles ne le peuvent pas, c’est pourquoi BillionGraves est la meilleure alternative. BillionGraves est la plus grande base de données au monde sur les cimetières, reliée à un système GPS. Lorsque vous prenez des photos avec l’application BillionGraves sur votre téléphone, chaque pierre tombale est automatiquement marquée d’une position GPS. Les données sont ensuite transcrites par des bénévoles, reportées sur des plans de cimetières et conservées sur les sites web BillionGraves, FamilySearch et MyHeritage pour des millions de familles à travers le monde et pour les générations futures.
Les sous-titres et la voix de cette vidéo ont été doublés en français à l’aide de l’IA.
Si les pierres tombales pouvaient parler, elles auraient beaucoup d’histoires à raconter. Mais elles ne le peuvent pas, c’est pourquoi BillionGraves est la meilleure alternative. BillionGraves est la plus grande base de données au monde sur les cimetières, reliée à un système GPS. Lorsque vous prenez des photos avec l’application BillionGraves sur votre téléphone, chaque pierre tombale est automatiquement marquée d’une position GPS. Les données sont ensuite transcrites par des bénévoles, reportées sur des plans de cimetières et conservées sur les sites web BillionGraves, FamilySearch et MyHeritage pour des millions de familles à travers le monde et pour les générations futures.
Les sous-titres et la voix de cette vidéo ont été doublés en français à l’aide de l’IA.
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