GPTs for Family History: Unlocking the Potential of AI

Andrew Redfern
Apr 4, 2025
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Content

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Welcome
1m 10s
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What and Why?
3m 39s
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GPTs to Explore
19m 06s
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Creating Custom GPTs
4m 49s
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Live Demo
19m 17s
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Announcements / prizes
51s
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Questions / answers
2m 02s

About this webinar

Explore the cutting-edge world of Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPTs) and their applications in family history in this innovative webinar. You’ll learn about the various GPT models available, how they can be utilised to enhance your genealogical research, and the benefits they offer in terms of efficiency and creativity. The session will also provide a guide on how to create your own GPT tailored to your family history needs, from data preparation to fine-tuning the model. Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or new to AI, this webinar will equip you with the knowledge and tools to leverage GPTs in uncovering and preserving your family’s stories.

About the speaker

About the speaker

Andrew Redfern is an enthusiastic family historian and accomplished speaker, having delivered presentations both in his home country of Australia and internationally over many years. His innovative work with Artificial Intelligence has been sought
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Key points and insights

In this insightful webinar, genealogist and AI innovator Andrew Redfern explores how custom GPTs (Generative Pre-trained Transformers) can revolutionize family history research. Drawing on his deep experience in genealogy and technology, Redfern guides viewers through practical examples and real-time demonstrations, revealing how these tools can streamline time-consuming tasks, uncover hidden connections, and bring new efficiency to traditional research methods. This session is a must-watch for genealogists eager to harness cutting-edge AI to enhance their work and collaborate more effectively with historical societies and research communities worldwide.

Key Takeaways:

  • Custom GPTs as Personal Research Assistants: Redfern explains that custom GPTs can be programmed to perform repetitive genealogical tasks such as obituary extraction, record transcription, and pedigree chart comparison. These tools reduce manual workload and allow researchers to focus on analytical thinking, significantly increasing productivity in large-scale or community-driven projects.
  • Real-World Applications in Genealogy: Through live demonstrations, Redfern showcases GPTs tailored for obituary analysis, surname extraction, and will interpretation. For instance, the “Obituary Analyser” auto-generates structured data from narrative texts, while a pedigree chart comparison tool helps trace DNA matches. These examples emphasize the value of designing GPTs for specific, repeatable genealogical functions.
  • Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your Own GPT: Attendees are walked through the process of planning, constructing, and refining their own GPTs. Redfern stresses the importance of clearly defining the tool’s purpose, expected input and output, and iteratively testing to improve accuracy. He encourages starting with small, focused tools and expanding from there to maintain reliability and usability.

Ready to take your genealogical research to the next level?
Watch the full webinar to see these tools in action and learn how to create your own GPTs tailored to your research needs. Whether you’re an individual researcher or part of a historical society, you’ll discover practical ways to boost efficiency and collaboration.

Be sure to explore the accompanying syllabus, which contains valuable supplemental materials, links, and detailed instructions to help you get started with AI in your genealogy projects.

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  1. DA
    Deitra Atkins
    4 weeks ago

    I thoroughly enjoyed the webinar and plan to watch the re-play. I am relatively new to the use of AI, but the presenter’s descriptions and explanations were very clear. I am going to recommend it to my genealogical group.

    Reply
  2. HG
    Harold Glenn
    4 weeks ago

    Great. Enjoyed and learned from the live creation of a ChatGPT prompt.

    Reply
  3. WS
    Wesley Smith
    4 weeks ago

    I just watched Andrew’s webinar, GPTs for Family History: Unlocking the Potential of AI, and found it incredibly informative. I wasn’t aware that custom GPTs were available, so it was great to see their potential for genealogy. With technology evolving so fast, keeping up can be a challenge, but Andrew’s clear and engaging presentation made it easier to understand. Thanks for another excellent session!

    Reply
  4. WJ
    Wendy Jenkins
    4 weeks ago

    Can’t wait to write my own GPTs now. It’s great that Andrew Redfern showed us how to write a GPT.

    Reply
  5. SH
    Susan Hopkins
    4 weeks ago

    Because it covered the whole array of my GPT questions from soup to nuts, it filled the gaps in my understanding of the lead-up to what’s too often just the starting point. In other words, it didn’t take for granted what I already know, but yet extended to what I can do at a highly sophisticated level all on my own. Nice to know I’m not restricted to just the “canned” things presented to me but can get creative in future. Thanks for the toolkit, Andrew!

    Reply
  6. AW
    Allison Willis
    4 weeks ago

    Awesome and very informative webinar, a must watch!!!

    Reply
  7. KS
    Kevin Schmitt
    4 weeks ago

    fantastic presentation

    Reply
  8. DL
    debra Levinson
    4 weeks ago

    Andrew Redfern certainly engages you as you learn. Love the live hands-on approach to demonstrating “how to” use ChatGPT for genealogy. I have learned so much from the Legacy Family Tree Webinars about using AI, my local genealogy club thinks I am such an expert as do some people from various museums around the country. I’ve applied it to my life, planned a 50th wedding anniversary weekend for me, my husband and family, wrote a humourous poem about him, plus edit, summarize grant applications! WOW!

    Reply

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