At the end of 2024, Thomas MacEntee published a brief overview of using artificial intelligence (AI) for genealogy. Genealogical.com provided me with a free review copy of this concise digital publication--with no strings attached and no influence over my brief, honest review of this digital-only publication.
Despite the rapid evolution of AI in the past couple of years, MacEntee's "at a glance" brief intro to the technology can be useful, especially to folks like me who have barely dipped a toe in the water of AI for genealogy. The cost is $7.95 for downloading this 13-page overview.
The author explains what AI is, provides a glossary to define terms, describes several popular AI platforms, and also offers a variety of ways AI can be used to help genealogists, such as for creating images related to ancestors and for filling in the blanks on social history background. Just as important, he lays out the good of AI (such as the ability to analyze large data sets) and the bad of AI (such as potential privacy violations).
I especially appreciated MacEntee's discussion of how and why to cite AI as a source. On p. 11, he provides a specific example of a citation "for content generated by a ChatGPT prompt used to determine the value of an ancestor’s home" (sorry, I can't reproduce his citation).
Don't expect a lot of deep detail in this very basic but affordable overview. I do wish it came with links for more info, although links can change quickly as this technology continues to progress at break-neck speed. Bottom line: If you are just beginning with AI for genealogy and want a primer, consider this "at a glance" overview to get yourself oriented.
For more about AI from Thomas MacEntee, see his website here.
Also, let me suggest checking this FamilySearch page with links to recent videos and ideas about using AI for genealogy. No doubt the 2027 RootsTech conference will include even more about AI for genealogy. Stay tuned.
