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SEMINAR - Artificial Intelligence and Family History: The Basics and Beyond

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About this event

Join three leading AI experts for this enlightening online seminar. Discover how to enhance your family history research by harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence, while being mindful of its current limits and possibilities.

Don't miss this excellent opportunity to learn from these highly respected educators: Steve Little, Mark Thompson, and Andrew Redfern.

This seminar is a ZOOM ONLY event. It includes three 1-hour presentations PLUS two shorter joint sessions involving all three speakers, with 10-minute breaks and a 45-minute lunch break between sessions.

SESSION 1 - 9:10 am:
An Introduction to AI and Family History – Steve Little

AI trailblazer Steve Little will introduce generative AI and how it is revolutionizing family history. Steve’s session will cover foundational skills in AI genealogy and is designed to quickly familiarize you with AI’s current limits and possibilities. Full of tangible examples and insights, his lecture will get you excited about how this world-changing technology will forever change your genealogy research.

Steve Little is the AI Program Director for the National Genealogical Society and has lifelong passions for language, technology, and genealogy. He completed graduate-level courses in applied linguistics, specializing in natural language processing and computational linguistics, two pillars of today’s large language models of AI; his first career was spent in and around libraries (law, local, university, and state archives) building information systems.

SESSION 2 - 10:20 am:
Learn Genealogy Faster and More Easily - Mark Thompson

Mark will show you how to use artificial intelligence to teach yourself genealogy. Mark will begin with a discussion of how to approach learning based upon how much you already know about the topic. Then, he will help you understand what types of topics are best suited for learning with AI. Relevant genealogy examples will be used with the leading Large Language Model (LLM) tools, including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.

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 between high technology and their family history research. Mark serves as President of the Victoria Genealogical Society and chairs their DNA Special Interest Group. Mark is a frequent presenter on technology-centric genealogy topics including AI, Genetic Genealogy, and Family Archiving.

SESSION 3 - 12:05 pm:
Choosing the Right AI Tool for Your Genealogy - Andrew Redfern

With so many AI tools available, how do you choose the right one for your genealogy tasks? In this session, Andrew will give you a guided tour of the best AI tools for genealogy needs, such as transcribing old wills, creating tables, converting audio to text, or remembering Excel formulas and more. This session will help you understand their features and decide which subscriptions offer the best value. A practical checklist will help you make informed decisions, ensuring you choose tools that best suit your family history research goals.

Andrew Redfern is an accomplished speaker who has captivated audiences through workshops and presentations spanning two decades. Drawing on his extensive background in education and technology, Andrew brings a uniquely informed perspective to the integration of AI tools in genealogical research. He combines enthusiasm for AI's possibilities with a pragmatic understanding of its limitations. Through engaging live demonstrations and compelling case studies from his own family history work, Andrew empowers audiences to confidently explore this rapidly evolving field.

SESSION 4 - 1:15 pm:
Family History AI in Action: Rapid fire Demonstrations - All Speakers
Mark, Steve, and Andrew will each demonstrate one of their favourites uses of artificial intelligence to help them with their family history research.

SESSION 5 - 1:40 pm:
AI Panel - All Speakers
Bill Jackson, Marketing Director for the Victoria Genealogical Society, will moderate the speakers through a lively discussion that highlights the key strengths, weaknesses, and issues with the use of AI in genealogical pursuits. Come prepared with your best questions!

Date and Time

Saturday, February 1, 2025, 9:00 AM until 2:20 PM Pacific Time (US & Canada) (UTC-08:00)

Videoconference information will be provided in an email once registration is complete.

Event Coordinator(s)

Mark D Thompson
Seminar Coordinator

Registration Info

Registration is required

Payment In Full In Advance Only

Event fees are payable in Canadian dollars.

This is a VIRUAL ONLY event.

Event reminder emails will be sent to registrants prior to the event.

Please arrive 15 minutes early to get settled, so the event can start on time.

Registration cancellations will be accepted until Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 12:01 AM