The Family History AI Show

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little share their predictions for artificial intelligence developments in 2025, with a special focus on how these changes will affect genealogists and family historians.

They explore the emergence of AI agents, the shift to running language models locally on personal devices, and the introduction of chatbots to social media platforms. Mark and Steve also discuss how AI writing tools will become main...

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore Google's powerful end-of-year releases that challenge other AI platforms. They examine Google's Deep Research tool and its ability to quickly create comprehensive research reports by combining information from multiple sources.

Next, they discuss Facebook's controversial introduction of AI assistants to Facebook groups and what this might mean for genealogy communities.

The hosts review...

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore OpenAI's "12 Days of OpenAI" campaign, particularly focusing on their new reasoning models and the expanded availability of Canvas across all ChatGPT models.

They examine how ChatGPT's new camera view in Advanced Voice Mode transforms mobile research capabilities, demonstrating real-world applications for genealogists.

This week's Tip of the Week reveals how to get the most out of free ...

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little reveal their top recommendations for AI tools worth paying for in 2025. They also discuss which AI tools aren't worth paying for in 2025. One of them might surprise you!

Next, Mark and Steve begin their review of OpenAI's "12 Days of OpenAI" announcements, beginning with the release of their enhanced O1 reasoning model. This new model will help you plan your family history research.

This week's...

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore the AI developments that had the biggest impact on genealogy in 2024.

This week’s episode spotlights MyHeritage's newest viral tool, LiveMemory, which brings old photos to life through animation. Next, Mark and Steve count down the year's top AI breakthroughs for genealogists. The groundbreaking FamilySearch full-text search takes the top spot by providing unprecedented access to huge ...

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little discuss how Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet upgrade has made Claude an even better AI writer. This make's it even easier to write a great research report. 

They move on to explore OpenAI's new desktop apps and Advanced Voice Mode, discussing how voice interaction could transform genealogical research, particularly for those who prefer speaking to typing. Combining search and AI in the same tool ...

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little examine OpenAI's new Canvas feature, demonstrating how this split-screen interface revolutionizes document creation and editing for genealogists. Locality guides and research reports are used as practical examples.

They explore how AI platforms like Canvas and Perplexity Spaces are challenging traditional software, suggesting a future where content creation happens primarily within AI environm...

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little recap their experiences at the East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference last week, highlighting Dana Leeds' innovative use of AI for efficiently created charts using the Leeds Method.

They then explore OpenAI's new Canvas feature, comparing it to Claude's Artifacts, and discuss its potential for genealogical research.

Next, Mark and Steve review Google's Notebook LM, examining its ability to tur...

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little are excited to share OpenAI's Advanced Voice Mode, which enables natural conversations with AI, and how FamilySearch's expanded full-text Search is revolutionizing records accessibility. They stress responsible AI use throughout this week's episode, introducing a new series on verifying the accuracy of AI-generated information.

Send your stories of AI accuracy (or accuracy failures) to Respons...

In this special edition of the Family History AI Show, co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little do a deep dive into OpenAI's latest release, code-named "Project Strawberry."

They explain the new ChatGPT-o1 models, discuss their reasoning capabilities and most importantly, their potential impacts on genealogical research. They also offer practical advice on when and how to use these new tools effectively.

Don't miss this week's Tip of ...

In this episode of the Family History AI Show, Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore the latest AI news, views and reviews for family historians. 

They start with Google Gemini's new file upload capabilities and examine AI's impact on genealogy education, offering practical advice for researchers. Then, they discuss the increasing availability of saved prompts across AI platforms.

Don’t miss this week’s Tip of The Week: Using exampl...

Hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little expertly navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape, offering practical insights on leveraging AI for your family history research.

Mark and Steve open this episode by discussing lessons that genealogists can learn from Hollywood on the importance of fact-checking. Next, they provide a comprehensive roundup of the top AI image-generation tools. Then, how Google Lens’ big upgrade can greatly simp...

In this episode, hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little discuss Microsoft's new AI-enhanced search tool, Deep Search.  Then, they review Google's major list of AI announcements. In the last big story this week, Mark and Steve talk about how photography has changed in the digital age.  

Don’t miss this week’s Tip of the Week, where Mark and Steve provide valuable insights into Building Better Prompts using the role-goal-task-format pro...

Join co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little to explore the latest developments in AI and Family History.

This week, they discuss Ancestry's innovative new tool for summarizing key US records. They also review Ancestry’s new AI chatbot that greatly simplifies finding the best support documents. Next, they gawk at Google's impressive Gemini 1.5 Pro update. Then, they wrap up the week’s top news stories by reviewing the growing impor...

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore the potential benefits of Meta's open-source approach to AI. Next, they discuss MyHeritage's plans to retire an AI feature. Then, they review the AI image generation features recently added to Adobe Illustrator. 

In this week’s Tip of the Week, they share valuable insights on crafting effective, hallucination-resistant, AI prompts using the “role, task, and format” prompting method.

The...

In this week’s episode, hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore Meta AI 3.1's huge large language model upgrade, as well as FamilySearch's innovative, AI-based summarization feature. They then address growing concerns about AI hype. In this week’s Tip of the Week, they share their approach for mastering the fine art of summarization, a crucial AI skill for genealogical research. The show rounds off with rapid-fire discussions ...

In this episode, hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little dive into Perplexity's big upgrade, enhancing research capabilities for family historians. They tackle pressing ethical concerns in AI, exploring copyright issues and training data controversies that impact genealogists. The show introduces a new series on building better prompts, offering practical tips to maximize AI tools. In the rapid-fire segment, they cover open-source dev...

In this episode of The Family History AI Show, hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little discuss the latest advancements in AI tools for genealogists.

Discover how Anthropic’s new Claude Projects feature stacks up against OpenAI’s custom GPTs, and learn about essential reusable prompts for genealogical research.

We also highlight key insights from the GRIP Annual Institute’s AI panel, addressing top questions from genealogy students.

Don’t...

Hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little discuss Steve's recent AI course for genealogists at GRIP and the rapid pace of learning and practical applications for genealogy. 

They examine the industry-wide effects of Apple's focus on AI privacy and security, including at OpenAI. The launch of Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet is a major advancement, offering huge improvements for genealogical research. 

This week’s Tip of The Week emphasizes t...