The Family History AI Show EP36: Browser Wars Heat Up, What AI Can Learn from AOL, Anthropic's Speedy New AI Model, Simple Path to Better Prompts
Nov 3, 2025
Discover how AI-enhanced browsers are revolutionizing genealogical research and making data collection effortless. Learn lessons from AOL's rise that can guide AI's broader adoption today. The podcast also dives into Anthropic's lightning-fast Haiku 4.5, perfect for simple tasks, and discusses how to effectively use AI for script extraction. Enjoy insights on new AI features in spreadsheets and exciting advancements in handwritten text recognition that promise to transform how we handle archival records.
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Episode notes
AI Browsers Remove Copy‑Paste Friction
- AI browsers add a sidebar that can see and summarize what’s in your open tabs in real time.
- This eliminates copy‑paste and speeds research for genealogists by letting the assistant compare multiple pages at once.
Use Agentic Browsing For Batch Tasks
- Let the agent navigate web pages for repetitive data‑gathering tasks and aggregate results into a spreadsheet.
- Use agentic browsing for batch searches (e.g., many names) but watch permissions and verify outputs.
AI Adoption Outpaces The Early Web
- AI adoption is accelerating far faster than the early internet, but many users must unlearn Google habits.
- Effective use takes 20–50 hours of practice and clear guidance to reduce hallucinations.