Do you have old family letters and documents waiting to be explored?

Artificial intelligence can assist you in analyzing and researching your family’s personal archives, on paper or online. Whether you need to summarize large documents to easily identifying names and relationships, or to develop a “cast of characters” or timeline in complex documents, AI tools can make your research more efficient and effective. Get familiar with terms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and more. We will discuss how to use some of the most powerful AI tools available to genealogists today, such as transcription and translation, being mindful of accuracy and sourcing. We will also explore how the major research websites are providing new tools for us, using related technology.
 
Mark will explain how AI can “lighten the load” of research and help you reveal rich history deep in your family archive!

Mark Thompson is a professional genealogist and educator who specializes in genetic genealogy and researching personal family archives. He is the Vice President of the Victoria Genealogical Society (VGS) in Victoria, BC, and the chair of their DNA Special Interest Group. He is also a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists. Mark has decades of public speaking experience and teaches and speaks on a variety of genealogy-related topics. Prior to becoming a genealogist, Mark worked for over 20 years in leadership roles in the technology industry. He worked in small startups and large corporations, ushering in technologies to improve business operations. Mark’s background in both technology and genealogy uniquely positions him to introduce genealogists to the rapidly changing field of artificial intelligence and how it can help them in their genealogy research.