The Family History AI Show

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little review the biggest AI breakthroughs of 2025 so far, from DeepSeek's open-source revolution to GPT-5's unified reasoning model.Mark and Steve also celebrate FamilySearch's Full-Text Search moving from experimental labs to the main website, covering 1.4 billion records across 4,300 collections plus new summarization and filtering features.This week's Tip of the Week provides practical guidance on using Nano Banana for photo restoration, explaining when it works brilliantly and when to exercise caution with damaged images.In RapidFire, they examine competing reports on AI's environmental impact, explore Google's new AI Mode in mobile apps, and discuss the landmark antitrust ruling that forces Google to share search data with competitors.Timestamps:In the News:03:44 2025 Mid-Year Review: AI's Explosive Growth in Genealogy29:08 FamilySearch Full Text Search Is Now Live37:57 AI Success Stories in the Wild: Real Genealogists, Real ResultsTip of the Week:47:53 Best Uses for Nano Banana (Gemini Nano): Small Model, Big ImpactRapidFire:59:54 AI's Environmental Debate: Energy Costs vs. Benefits1:03:50 Google AI in Mobile Apps: What It Means for Genealogists1:11:07 Google Antitrust Ruling Issued: Impact on AI DevelopmentResource Links:Intro to Family History AI by the Family History AI Show Academyhttps://tixoom.app/fhaishowFull-Text Search (must be logged in to use this link)https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/full-text/Full-Text Search Leaves FamilySearch Labshttps://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/full-text-search-leaves-familysearch-labsHow do I use FullText Search?https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-use-fulltext-searchResponsible AI Photo Restorationhttps://makingfamilyhistory.com/responsible-ai-photo-restoration/WaPo AI Energy Usage, Sept 2024https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/09/18/energy-ai-use-electricity-water-data-centers/Google: How much energy does Google's AI use? We did the mathhttps://cloud.google.com/blog/products/infrastructure/measuring-the-environmental-impact-of-ai-inference/Judge orders Google to share search data as part of antitrust ruling --- but Google gets to keep Chromehttps://www.tomsguide.com/computing/search-engines/judge-orders-google-to-share-search-data-as-part-of-antitrust-ruling-but-google-gets-to-keep-chrome?utm_source=chatgpt.com Tags:Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, DeepSeek R1, AI Reasoning, Open Source AI, Free AI Tools, ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, OpenAI Operator, AI Agents, Beginner AI Guide, Research Tools, Document Analysis, AI Democratization, Context Windows, Deep Research, AI Writing, Browser Automation, Genealogy Research, AI Accessibility, Reasoning Models, AI Education

Co-hosts explore the mixed reception of ChatGPT 5 and OpenAI's quick responses. They delve into Google's innovative Nano Banana model for selective image editing, sparking debates around photo ethics in genealogy. Mark provides practical advice on crafting AI citation prompts, emphasizing the importance of 'good enough' over perfection. Discussions also touch on Apple's rumored partnership with Google, new AI study modes for education, Anthropic's copyright settlement, and shifting privacy policies, plus the escalating browser wars in the AI landscape.

The arrival of ChatGPT-5 brings improved reasoning and reduced errors, making it a game-changer for genealogists. OpenAI's new Study Mode acts like a personal tutor, enhancing learning experiences. Beginners are cautioned against complex AI tasks, emphasizing the importance of mastering the basics first. The discussion also covers the exciting release of NotebookLM, which adds multimedia support, and outlines the impressive earnings reported by AI firms, alongside Google's ongoing legal challenges.

The hosts delve into the exciting launch of ChatGPT-5, detailing its significant upgrades for genealogists, like automated model selection and enhanced reasoning that cut down hallucinations by 45%. They demonstrate improved image analysis with old photos, showing how the AI now suggests research avenues automatically. The discussion also covers the hosts' new course on utilizing AI in family history research, designed to make these tools more accessible to everyone. Additional features include a revamped voice mode that introduces quirky personalities!

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore OpenAI's groundbreaking ChatGPT Agent, demonstrating how this autonomous tool can research, analyze, and perform complex tasks on your behalf.Next, they address important security concerns to consider in the new world of AI agents, introducing practical guidelines for protecting sensitive family data and avoiding prompt injection attacks.This week's Tip of the Week provides a back-to-basics guide on what AI is and its four core strengths: summarization, extraction, generation, and translation.In RapidFire, they discuss OpenAI's rumored office suite, Microsoft and Google's own efforts to integrate AI into their office suites, and recently announced AI infrastructure investments, including; Meta's Manhattan-sized data center and President Trump's new AI Action Plan.The hosts also announce their new Family History AI Show Academy, a five-week course beginning in October of 2025. See https://tixoom.app/fhaishow/ for more details.Timestamps:In the News:05:20 ChatGPT Agent: Autonomous Research Assistant for Genealogists22:49 Safe and Secure in the Age of AITip of the Week:36:20 What is AI and What is it Good For? Back to BasicsRapidFire:50:57 OpenAI's Office Suite Rumors53:56 Microsoft and Google Bring AI to Their Office Suites60:17 Big AI Infrastructure: Manhattan-Sized Data CentersResource Links:Introduction to Family History AIhttps://tixoom.app/fhaishow/Do agents work in the browser?https://www.bensbites.com/p/do-agents-work-in-the-browserIntroducing ChatGPT agent: bridging research and actionhttps://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-agent/OpenAI's new ChatGPT Agent can control an entire computer and do tasks for youhttps://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/709158/openai-new-release-chatgpt-agent-operator-deep-researchOpenAI's New ChatGPT Agent Tries to Do It Allhttps://www.wired.com/story/openai-chatgpt-agent-launch/Agent demo posthttps://x.com/rowancheung/status/1945896543263080736OpenAI Quietly Designed a Rival to Google Workspace, Microsoft Officehttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-quietly-designed-rival-google-workspace-microsoft-officeOpenAI Is Quietly Creating Tools to Take on Microsoft Office and Google Workspacehttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/markets/stocks/MSFT/pressreleases/33074368/openai-is-quietly-creating-tools-to-take-on-microsoft-office-and-google-workspace-googl/What's new in Microsoft 365 Copilot?https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/what%E2%80%99s-new-in-microsoft-365-copilot--june-2025/4427592Google Workspace enables the future of AI-powered work for every businesshttps://workspace.google.com/blog/product-announcements/empowering-businesses-with-AIGoogle Workspace Review: Will it Serve My Needs?https://www.emailtooltester.com/en/blog/google-workspace-review/Tags:Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, AI Agents, ChatGPT Agent, OpenAI, Computer Use, AI Security, Prompt Injection, Database Analysis, RootsMagic, Cemetery Records, AI Office Suite, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Google Workspace, Data Centers, AI Infrastructure, Natural Language Processing, Large Language Models, Context Windows, AI Education, Family History AI Show Academy, AI Reasoning Models, Autonomous Research, AI Ethics

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore Perplexity's groundbreaking Comet browser, which brings AI directly to web pages and can autonomously navigate sites to collect genealogical data.They examine Grok 4's impressive benchmark performance while discussing its limitations for genealogical research and safety concerns.This week's Tip of the Week introduces "context engineering" - the art of providing maximum information to AI tools through examples, documents, and prior conversations for superior results.In RapidFire, they cover Google's Veo 3 photo-to-video tool, Silicon Valley's dramatic Windsurf acquisition battle, and OpenAI's new ChatGPT Agent that can control computers autonomously.Timestamps:In the News:07:47 Perplexity's Comet Browser: AI-Enhanced Research and Web Surfing20:32 Grok 4 Released: Benchmark Success, Real-World ChallengesTip of the Week:27:53 Context Engineering: Maximizing AI Results with Rich InformationRapidFire:36:02  Google Veo 3: Transform Photos into Videos44:19 Windsurf Acquisition Drama: AI Consolidation Begins53:58 ChatGPT Agent: Autonomous Computer Control ArrivesResource LinksOfficial Comet Launch Announcementhttps://www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/introducing-cometPerplexity launches Comet, an AI-powered web browserhttps://techcrunch.com/2025/07/09/perplexity-launches-comet-an-ai-powered-web-browser/Every: Vibe Check: Grok 4 Aced Its Exams. The Real World Is a Different Storyhttps://every.to/vibe-check/vibe-check-grok-4-aced-its-exams-the-real-world-is-a-different-storyLM Arena Leaderboardhttps://lmarena.ai/leaderboardTechCrunch: Google adds image-to-video generation capability to Veo 3https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/10/google-adds-image-to-video-generation-capability-to-veo-3/Windsurf's CEO goes to Google; OpenAI's acquisition falls aparthttps://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/windsurfs-ceo-goes-to-google-openais-acquisition-falls-apart/Every: Vibe Check: OpenAI Enters the Browser Wars With ChatGPT Agenthttps://every.to/vibe-check/vibe-check-openai-enters-the-browser-wars-with-chatgpt-agentTechCrunch: AWS is launching an AI agent marketplace next week with Anthropic as a partnerhttps://techcrunch.com/2025/07/10/aws-is-launching-an-ai-agent-marketplace-next-week-with-anthropic-as-a-partner/TagsArtificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, AI Browsers, Web Navigation, Perplexity Comet, Grok 4, ChatGPT Agent, Context Engineering, AI Tools, Agentic Browsers, Video Generation, Google Veo 3, Windsurf Acquisition

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore how AI-based transcriptions are revolutionizing genealogical research across the industry. They examine FamilySearch's Full-Text Search expansion to over 1.25 billion records and Ancestry's new document transcription tool.The episode features an exclusive interview with David Ouimette from FamilySearch, who reveals how they're making previously unsearchable handwritten documents accessible through AI technology.This week's Tip of the Week demonstrates Dan Maloney's innovative Genealogy Assistant HTR tool for transcribing multiple documents simultaneously.In RapidFire, they discuss Grok 4's anticipated release, Apple's shift to integrate ChatGPT and Claude rather than develop their own AI, and Google Photos' new natural language search capabilities powered by Gemini.Timestamps:In the News:03:23 AI Transcriptions Everywhere: The New Normal in Genealogy25:33 Building AI Apps with ClaudeInterview:29:34 David Ouimette on FamilySearch's AI JourneyRapidFire:49:27 Grok 4 Release Announcement51:35 Apple Pivots to Third-Party AI Integration56:02 Google Photos Adds Natural Language SearchResource LinksExpanded Access to Full-Text Searchhttps://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/full-text-search-experimental-aiAncestry announces the Beta launch of its new document transcription featurehttps://www.ancestry.com/c/ancestry-blog/ancestry-news/document-transcription-featureSnagit Screen Capturehttps://www.techsmith.com/snagitWindows Snipping Toolhttps://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/use-snipping-tool-to-capture-screenshots-00246869-1843-655f-f220-97299b865f6bScreenshots or screen recordings on Machttps://support.apple.com/en-hk/guide/mac-help/mh26782/macDan Maloney's AI Handwritten Text Recognition Toolhttps://www.genea.ca/htr-tool/Anthropic: Build and share AI-powered apps with Claudehttps://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-powered-artifactsAnthropic now lets you make apps right from its Claude AI chatbothttps://www.theverge.com/news/693342/anthropic-claude-ai-apps-artifactGrok 4 release livestream on Wednesday at 8pm PThttps://x.com/elonmusk/status/1942325820170907915Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok launches into antisemitic rant amid updateshttps://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/07/08/elon-musk-grok-ai-antisemitism/Apple's Original AI announcement on June 10, 2024https://www.apple.com/ca/newsroom/2024/06/introducing-apple-intelligence-for-iphone-ipad-and-mac/Apple's Integrates ChatGPT into iPhoneshttps://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/iphone/iph00fd3c8c2/iosApple Weighs Using Anthropic or OpenAI to Power Siri in Major Reversalhttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-30/apple-weighs-replacing-siri-s-ai-llms-with-anthropic-claude-or-openai-chatgptGoogle Resumes Rollout of AI-Based 'Ask Photos' Image Searchhttps://petapixel.com/2025/06/27/google-resumes-rollout-of-ai-based-ask-photos-image-search/Google Product Manager says Ask Photos paused for quality issueshttps://x.com/jamieasp/status/1929895255844745284Ask Photos coming to more Google Photos usershttps://blog.google/products/photos/updates-ask-photos-search/Ask Photos' Original Announcement May 14, 2024https://petapixel.com/2024/05/14/gemini-powered-ask-photos-brings-an-ai-assistant-to-google-photos/TagsArtificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, AI Transcription, FamilySearch, Ancestry, Document Analysis, Handwritten Text Recognition, Full-Text Search, Screen Capture Tools, Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, OCR Technology, Dan Maloney, Genealogy Assistant, API Keys, Claude AI, Anthropic, Google Photos, Apple Intelligence, Grok AI, David Ouimette, Truth Sets, Research Tools

The co-hosts dive into the controversial world of AI image restoration, questioning its impact on authentic family photos. They ponder the future of Perplexity and its unique research capabilities. Legal battles are analyzed, particularly Disney's case against MidJourney, highlighting copyright implications for AI training. A handy tip showcases how project workspaces can streamline genealogical research. Lastly, the discussion touches on Meta's hiring spree and the importance of critically assessing AI news as tools proliferate in everyday software.

Jessica Taylor, President of Legacy Tree Genealogists and chair of the Coalition for Responsible AI in Genealogy, joins the discussion. She shares insights on her company’s cautious yet innovative use of AI tools in genealogy. The co-hosts delve into groundbreaking AI updates, including Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro and Anthropic’s Claude 4, and their implications for document analysis and writing. They also highlight the five core principles for responsible AI use and anticipate the exciting features of ChatGPT 5, reflecting on AI’s transformative role in family history.

In this discussion, genealogy expert Jarrett Ross, known for his work on The GeneaVlogger channel, shares insights about integrating AI into genealogy. He talks about his innovative facial recognition project that identifies individuals in historical photos, particularly from Poland. The hosts explore ChatGPT 4o's advanced photorealism and text accuracy in image generation, and the O3 model's groundbreaking abilities for image analysis. They emphasize the responsible use of AI, balancing groundbreaking technology with the need for ethical considerations in genealogical research.