Ancestors and Algorithms: AI for Genealogy
Stuck on a family history brick wall? It's time to add the most powerful tool to your genealogy toolkit: Artificial Intelligence. Welcome to Ancestors and Algorithms, the definitive guide to revolutionizing your family tree research with AI.
Forget the hype and confusion. This isn't just another podcast about AI; this is your hands-on, step-by-step masterclass using AI. Each week, host and researcher Brian demystifies the technology and shows you exactly how to apply AI tools to find ancestors, analyze records, and solve your toughest genealogy puzzles.
We explore the incredible promise of AI while navigating its perils with an honest, practical approach. Learn to use AI as your personal research assistant—not a replacement for your own critical thinking.
Join us to learn how to:
- Break through brick walls using AI-driven analysis and data correlation.
- Transcribe old, hard-to-read documents, letters, and census records in minutes.
- Use ChatGPT, Gemini, and other Generative AI to draft biographies, summarize findings, and organize your research.
- Analyze DNA matches and historical records to uncover hidden family connections.
- Master prompts that get you accurate results and avoid AI "hallucinations."
- Discover the latest AI tech and digital tools for genealogists before anyone else.
Whether you're a beginner genealogist or a seasoned family historian, if you're ready to upgrade your research skills, this podcast is for you. Hit Follow now and turn AI into your ultimate secret weapon for uncovering your ancestry.
Ancestors and Algorithms: AI for Genealogy
Latest Episodes
Ep. 37: What Grandma Never Said - Using AI to Uncover Hidden Ancestors in Census Records
Every family has a story that got quietly handed down across the generations. A birthplace. A number of children. One marriage, one life, neatly summarized. But what happens when you sit down with the actual records and the story doesn't match?...
Ep. 36: The Highland Line - Tracing Scottish Ancestors with AI
If you have Scottish Highland ancestry and your family tree hits a wall before 1855, this episode was made for you.In Episode 36 of Ancestors and Algorithms, Brian traces a MacLeod family from the Isle of Skye using three AI tools and a ...
Ep. 35: How AI Resolves Conflicting Evidence for Immigrant Ancestors
Three records. Three completely different birthplace answers. A German Lutheran church register from Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania says New York. The 1880 US Federal Census says Germany. A Pennsylvania death certificate says Pennsylvania. All...
Ep. 34: How to Use Claude, Perplexity, ChatGPT & Gemini to Find a California Gold Rush Ancestor
Your ancestor went to California in 1849 as a forty-niner. The family says he struck it rich. But when you search the mining records for his name? Nothing. No claim. No miner's registration. No county tax list. He's a ghost.That is exact...
Ep. 33: FAN Club Method + AI - Find Ancestors Through Their Neighbors
If you have a brick wall ancestor with a common name; a William Harrison, a Mary Smith, a John Thomas this episode will change how you research forever.In Episode 33 of Ancestors and Algorithms, host Brian walks through a completely upgr...