Picture the Past: An Introduction to AI Images for Family Historians

Steve Little
Mar 28, 2025
1.2K views
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Content

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Welcome
1m 56s
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Speakers' Introduction
1m 09s
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Introduction
1m 06s
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Overview
5m 11s
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Text to Image
7m 29s
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Photorealism
12m 07s
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Generate and Edit
15m 05s
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Summary
3m 43s
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Live Demos
22m 08s
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Announcements / prizes
7m 21s
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Questions / answers
13m 27s

About this webinar

Learn how to use artificial intelligence to transform written records and family stories into memorable images. Whether recreating a long-lost family homestead or visualizing your ancestors’ daily lives, discover how today’s AI technology can add a new dimension to your family history research. This webinar will show genealogists how to use the best AI image generators available today and demonstrate the methods for getting the best results from them.

About the speakers

About the speakers

Steve Little is the AI Program Director for the National Genealogical Society, the founder of AI Genealogy Insights, and co-host of The Family History AI Show podcast, and he has lifelong passions for language, technology, and genealogy. Steve com
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Mark Thompson is a professional genealogist and public speaker specializing in the application of artificial intelligence to genealogy. As co-host of the Family History AI Show podcast alongside Steve Little, Mark helps genealogists bridge the gap
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Key points and insights

Discover how cutting-edge artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the way genealogists connect with their ancestors in the engaging and forward-thinking webinar, Picture the Past: An Introduction to AI Images for Family Historians. Presented by Steve Little and Mark Thompson, this session explores the exciting frontier where generative AI and family history intersect. By demonstrating how text-to-image tools can visualize historical scenes and ancestral environments, the presenters offer a compelling look at how modern technology can deepen our connection to the past—even when no photos exist.

Key Takeaways:

  • Harnessing Generative AI to Visualize History: The webinar showcases how AI image generators such as DALL·E, MidJourney, Grok, and Gemini can transform simple text prompts into vivid historical imagery. From rustic cabins in 1850s Appalachia to photorealistic farm scenes in 1880s Ontario, attendees learn to create visuals that evoke the time, place, and atmosphere of their ancestors’ lives—even in eras predating photography.
  • Responsible and Realistic Image Creation: A strong emphasis is placed on ethical image generation. The speakers advocate clearly labeling AI-generated images to avoid confusion in future research and caution against presenting them as authentic historical photographs. Best practices, including citing the model used and date of creation, help maintain genealogical integrity.
  • Advanced Prompting and Editing Techniques: Attendees gain practical insights into refining prompts and using built-in editing tools to modify or improve AI-generated images. From enhancing historical accuracy to overcoming common challenges (like garbled text or anatomical errors), the webinar provides strategies to make images both meaningful and visually compelling. The presenters even demonstrate how to combine AI output with simple editing tools like PowerPoint for final touches.

Whether you’re seeking to breathe life into an ancestor’s story or simply explore the creative possibilities of AI in genealogy, this webinar offers a valuable foundation. To see these powerful techniques in action and start building your own historically inspired visuals, be sure to view the full webinar recording.

Additionally, don’t miss the syllabus provided with the session—packed with tool recommendations, practical tips, and further resources to help you integrate AI imagery into your research responsibly and effectively. Dive deeper into the potential of artificial intelligence to enrich your genealogical storytelling.

Comments (75)

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  1. JL
    Joy Lang
    3 days ago

    I learned many new tools to use.

    Reply
  2. BB
    Brian Boneham
    3 days ago

    Great webinar, will review the recording.

    Reply
  3. CW
    Consuelo White
    3 days ago

    This presentation alone is more than worth the price of my membership. The show and tell segment was extremely useful. I’m excited to get started on imaging to add to my family history writings.

    Reply
    1
  4. JM
    John Martin
    3 days ago

    I have been doing genealogy for close to 20 years, and I take a lot of on-line classes to stay “up” on things, and this presentation was, w/o a doubt one of the best classes I have ever taken.

    Reply
    1
  5. DO
    Dusty Oess
    3 days ago

    what a great presentation I really enjoyed it plus learned a lot.

    Reply
  6. SR
    Sharla Rausch
    3 days ago

    Amazing! How many times have we wished that we could go back in time to see our ancestors’ world? This may be the closest we ever get. This futuristic technology is helping us to touch the past. I’m already thinking about my prompts! Thank you for this series!

    Reply
  7. GL
    Graham Lowe
    3 days ago

    Wow! This was a fantastic introduction to using AI to generate images from text and also to artificially repair photographs.

    Reply
  8. AW
    Allison Willis
    3 days ago

    EXCELLENT WEBINAR!!! Definitely one to watch again and again too!!!!

    Reply

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