AI-Assisted Genealogy: Using AI to Trace My Family Tree

In his latest article, the author discusses the use of artificial intelligence in genealogy to trace family trees. He acknowledges feedback regarding AI's potential to hallucinate and the validity concerns about the trustworthiness of genealogy sites. The author clarifies that AI is effective when grounded in data, and emphasizes the importance of verifying information.

To utilize AI in genealogy, the author outlines a process where AI searches for unknown parents in a family tree, transcribes official records, and links newly discovered individuals to their children. This loop continues until no records are found, adding one generation at a time. The author highlights the QUAY directive in GEDCOM files, which helps rank the credibility of information sources.

When using genealogy sites, the author suggests creating a unique skill for each site and archive. The skill should differentiate between fully open access sites and those requiring accounts and browser-based protection. For sites with high bot protection, the author recommends using Chrome in debug mode or Playwright with stored sessions to bypass security measures.

The author also discusses leveraging genealogy sites, suggesting a cycle of uncovering new ancestors in official records and then using genealogy sites to pinpoint those individuals. He advises caution when accepting smart matches from genealogy sites, as they may introduce unrelated individuals and corrupt the tree. Additionally, the author emphasizes the importance of careful spelling checks and utilizing photographs to aid in ancestor identification.

Lastly, the author mentions Topola, a GEDCOM viewer that allows displaying thumbnails for individuals in the tree and provides additional object information. The author appreciates Topola's features, particularly its ability to display photographs, and follows specific rules for displaying profiles and images.