The Family History AI Show

Welcome to "The Family History AI Show," your go-to podcast for the latest news and views on artificial intelligence and family history. Join Steve Little, world-class authority in AI and genealogy, and Mark Thompson, professional genealogist, educator, and technology expert, as they explore the fascinating intersection of family history and AI. In each episode, Mark and Steve unpack the latest news and tools in AI, delivering clear, accessible insights on how you can transform your personal genealogy journey using AI and how AI is reshaping the genealogy community as a whole.

The Family History AI Show is a education podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 42 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts The Family History AI Show, a education show with 42 episodes published.

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  The Family History AI Show

  EP42: Summer Model Releases, Desktop Apps, AI Hacking Spree, and Handwriting Transcription

  Aug 16, 202647 min

  Description Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little return from institute season to unpack a summer that reshaped the artificial intelligence landscape, beginning with the new model families from OpenAI and Anthropic and how to choose among them. The hosts then examine desktop artificial intelligence applications, which read and write files directly in a folder on your own computer, followed by Mark’s Tip of the Week on connecting ChatGPT Desktop to Excel to update one of his complex spreadsheets. In RapidFire, the hosts cover the hacking spree that both OpenAI and Anthropic disclosed this summer, models solving mathematical problems that stumped researchers for decades, and handwritten text recognition finally crossing the line into everyday usefulness. The through line in today’s episode is the shrinking list of things artificial intelligence cannot do, and what that might mean for genealogy. This episode is sponsored by the East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference The East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference is one of the best places in the world for advanced genetic genealogists to learn how the newest advances in genetic genealogy can improve their family history research. Mark and Steve are both presenting, and the conference begins August 21, 2026, in Boston. In person and online options are both available. https://ecggc.org/ TimestampsOpening 00:16 East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference in Boston In the News 03:40 Summer Model Releases: Choosing Between Fast, Cheap, and Good 07:54 The Rise of the Desktop Apps: Artificial Intelligence That Reads Your Local Files Tip of the Week 16:20 Connecting ChatGPT Desktop to Excel: Rebuilding a Complex Spreadsheet RapidFire 25:58 Artificial Intelligence Breaks Out: OpenAI and Anthropic Disclose Sandbox Escapes 31:24 Century-Old Math Problems Solved: Why Verifiable Fields Fall First 38:03 Handwritten Text Recognition: Transcription Is No Longer the Hard Part Final Thoughts 46:10 Episode Wrap and Boston Send-Off Resource Links East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference https://ecggc.org/ Summer Model Releases United States Government Grounds Anthropic https://www.anthropic.com/news/fable-mythos-access Sol Cheated on Itself https://deploymentsafety.openai.com/gpt-5-6 The Rise of the Desktop Apps Download ChatGPT for Desktop https://chatgpt.com/download/ Install Claude Desktop https://support.claude.com/en/articles/10065433-install-claude-desktop Download Google Antigravity https://antigravity.google/ Artificial Intelligence Solves Century-Old Math Problems Ten Math Claims, Public Receipts from OpenAI https://openai.com/index/ten-advances-in-mathematics/ Anthropic Cracked an 87-Year Math Problem https://fortune.com/2026/07/21/ai-solves-jacobian-conjecture-levant-alpoge-claude-fable-5/ Handwritten Text Recognition Dan Maloney’s Artificial Intelligence Handwriting Transcription Rankings https://www.genea.ca/rankings/ Tags Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, OpenAI, Anthropic, ChatGPT Desktop, Claude Desktop, Google Antigravity, Desktop Applications, Excel, Spreadsheet Automation, Handwriting Recognition, Document Transcription, Gemini, Model Selection, Sandbox Escape, Mathematics, Genetic Genealogy, Dan Maloney, AI Tools

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  The Family History AI Show

  EP41: MyHeritage Announces Scribe AI, Dave Vance Talks AI at FamilyTreeDNA, Full Text Search at Fold3, Wikipedia's AI Ban

  Apr 5, 20261h 9m

  Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little open with a deep look at MyHeritage's new Scribe AI, a new AI tool that analyzes records, photographs, gravestones, and coats of arms and provides genealogy relevant research suggestions. It even works on your own photographs. This episode features an interview with Dave Vance, General Manager of Family Tree DNA, exploring how the hottest new genetic genealogy tests, provided by next-generation sequencing, deliver 400 times more genomic info than traditional microarray chips and what that means for matching, triangulation, and the future role of AI in genetic genealogy. In RapidFire, the hosts cover Fold3's AI-powered full-text search for Revolutionary War pension files, Claude for Excel as a practical AI plug-in for Microsoft's spreadsheet, and Wikipedia's decision to ban AI-generated article content. TimestampsOpening 00:05 GRIP 2026 Course Announcements In the News 05:03 MyHeritage Scribe AI: Record and Photo Analysis for Genealogists Interview 14:58 Dave Vance, Family Tree DNA: Next-Generation Sequencing and AI in Genetic Genealogy RapidFire 45:54 Fold3 Full-Text Search: Revolutionary War Pension Files Now Searchable 53:46 Claude for Excel: AI-Powered Spreadsheet Analysis Plug-in 1:00:47 Wikipedia's AI Policy: Editors Vote to Ban AI-Generated Content Final Thoughts 1:08:19 Episode Wrap and Next Interview Preview Resource Links GRIP Genealogy Institute 2026 Courses GRIP Genealogy Institute https://grip.ngsgenealogy.org/ MyHeritage Scribe AI Introducing Scribe AI https://blog.myheritage.com/2026/03/introducing-scribe-ai/ Fold3 Full-Text Search Revolutionary War Pension Files: Now Available Through Full-Text Search https://blog.fold3.com/revolutionary-war-pension-files-now-available-through-full-text-search/ Claude for Excel Use Claude for Excel https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12650343-use-claude-for-excel Wikipedia AI Policy Wikipedia Cracks Down on the Use of AI in Article Writing https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/26/wikipedia-cracks-down-on-the-use-of-ai-in-article-writing/ Wikipedia: Artificial Intelligence Policy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Artificial_intelligence Tags Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, MyHeritage, Scribe AI, Family Tree DNA, Dave Vance, Next-Generation Sequencing, Genetic Genealogy, Fold3, Handwriting Recognition, Full-Text Search, Claude for Excel, Wikipedia, AI Policy, Record Analysis, Photo Analysis, Revolutionary War, RootsTech, AI Tools

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  The Family History AI Show

  EP40: AI Models Leap Forward, Research Like a Pro Meets AI, FamilySearch Simple Search, Ancestry AI Stories, Anthropic vs. Uncle Sam

  Mar 24, 20261h 2m

  Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little examine the major AI model upgrades released over the winter, comparing Anthropic's Opus 4.6, OpenAI's GPT 5.4, and Google's Gemini 3.1 Pro and their benefits for genealogists. In a special interview recorded at RootsTech 2026, they sit down with Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer of Family Locket to explore how the Research Like a Pro methodology integrates with AI tools for transcription, locality research, and DNA analysis. In RapidFire, they cover FamilySearch's new Simple Search interface for Full-Text Search, Ancestry's AI Stories feature for understanding historical records, and the escalating conflict between Anthropic and the U.S. federal government over the use of AI by the military. Timestamps: In the News: 03:12 New AI Model Releases: Opus 4.6, GPT 5.4, and Gemini 3.1 Pro Transform Genealogy Interview 19:40 Interview with Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer: Research Like a Pro Meets AI RapidFire: 44:05 FamilySearch Simple Search: Natural Language Meets Full-Text Search 48:24 Ancestry AI Stories: Understanding Historical Records with AI 53:00 Anthropic vs. U.S. Government: AI Ethics Battle Elevates Claude Resource Links: New Models Introducing GPT5.4 https://openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-5-4/ Anthropic releases Opus 4.6 https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/05/anthropic-releases-opus-4-6-with-new-agent-teams/ Anthropic releases Claude Sonnet 4.6 https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/17/anthropic-ai-claude-sonnet-4-6-default-free-pro.html Gemini 3.1 Pro https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/gemini-models/gemini-3-1-pro/ Interview with Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer from Family Locket About Diana Elder and Nicole Elder Dyer https://familylocket.com/about-us/ Simple Search for Family Search Full Text Search How do I use Fulltext Search? https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-use-fulltext-search Ancestry AI Stories Ancestry Brings Family History to Life with New AI-Powered Stories https://www.ancestry.ca/corporate/blog/ancestry-brings-family-history-to-life-with-new-ai-powered-stori Anthropic and the U.S. Government Trump orders government to stop using Anthropic in battle over AI use https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn48jj3y8ezo Anthropic CEO responds to Trump order, Pentagon clash https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPTNHrq_4LU Tags: Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, AI Models, RootsTech, FamilySearch, Ancestry, Claude, ChatGPT, Google Gemini

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  The Family History AI Show

  EP39: 2026 Predictions for Family History AI, Platform Apps, Handwritten Text Recognition, AI-Enhanced Research, AI-Browsers, and so much more!

  Dec 16, 202550 min

  In the last episode of 2025, Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little present their predictions for how artificial intelligence will transform genealogy research in 2026. This special episode examines fourteen key trends shaping the future of family history AI. Mark and Steve predict that AI tools will move from enthusiast circles into mainstream genealogy practice, with AI-enhanced apps like NotebookLM becoming more important than the underlying language models that people have focused on for the past three years. They explore how handwritten text recognition will become more accurate and accessible, and that genealogy companies will cautiously integrate new AI features, first focusing on helping us with our research. Timestamps: 02:33 Family History AI Goes Mainstream: From Enthusiasts to Everyday Users 04:13 Apps Over Models: Why Platform Features Matter More Than LLMs 06:17 Reusable Prompting Tools: GPTs, Projects, and Gems Boost Efficiency 08:02 AI-Enhanced Research Gains Acceptance Among Serious Genealogists 09:53 Handwritten Text Recognition Gets Better, Easier, and Cheaper 12:18 Genealogy Companies Take Cautious Approach to Generative AI 17:07 AI-Enhanced Browsers Become Standard, Agentic Features Raise Concerns 24:25 Voice Interfaces to AI Remain Niche in 2026 27:36 LLM Vendors Push File and Email Integration for Stickiness 31:46 Productivity Tools Embed LLMs Everywhere 35:56 The AI Horse Race: Three Leaders Emerge 41:15 AI Licensing Deals Change Internet Access Patterns 44:34 The AI Bubble Conversation is important to society, but less so to Genealogists Resource Links: The Family History AI Show Academy https://tixoom.app/fhaishow Family History AI Goes Mainstream What Can AI Do for Your Genealogical Research? – James Tanner (Nov 2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXmVKy1pUPE FamilySearch Shares Plans for 2025 (Includes AI integration details) https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/familysearch-shares-plans-for-2025 Reusable Prompting Tools Custom GPTs vs. Gemini Gems: Who Wins? - Learn Prompting (Aug 2025) https://learnprompting.org/blog/custom-gpts-vs-gemini-gems AI-Enhanced Research Unlocking Family Histories: How AI Is Breathing New Life into Handwritten Records (South Central APG) https://southcentralapg.org/2025/08/16/unlocking-family-histories-how-ai-is-breathing-new-life-into-handwritten-records/ Handwritten Text Recognition A new Google model is nearly perfect on automated handwriting recognition - Hacker News https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45887262 Cautious AI from Genealogy Companies AI-Enhanced Browsers Compliance alert: Do not use AI browsers https://vinciworks.com/blog/compliance-alert-do-not-use-ai-browsers/ Content Integration with Chatbots Gemini vs Copilot: A Quick Comparison Guide (2025) - Tactiq https://tactiq.io/learn/gemini-vs-copilot AI in Office Productivity Tools Microsoft Copilot in 2025: What's Changed & What's Next | Aldridge https://aldridge.com/microsoft-copilot-in-2025-whats-changed-whats-next/ Monthly Round Up: New Features in Microsoft 365 Copilot (Dec 2025) https://dynamicscommunities.com/ug/copilot-ug/monthly-round-up-new-features-in-microsoft-365-copilot/ The AI Horse Race The Best AI in October 2025? We Compared ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Gemini & Others - FelloAI https://felloai.com/the-best-ai-in-october-2025-we-compared-chatgpt-claude-grok-gemini-others/ The 2025 AI Coding Models: Comprehensive Guide to the Top 5 Contenders - CodeGPT https://www.codegpt.co/blog/ai-coding-models-2025-comprehensive-guide AI Licensing Deals Content Licensing Agreements Will Concentrate Markets Without Standardized Access - ProMarket (Nov 2025) https://www.promarket.org/2025/11/20/content-licensing-agreements-will-concentrate-markets-without-standardized-access/ The False Hope of Content Licensing at Internet Scale - ProMarket https://www.promarket.org/2025/11/19/the-false-hope-of-content-licensing-at-internet-scale/ The AI Bubble Conversation The AI boom will turn to bust in 2026 https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-ai-boom-will-turn-to-bust-next-year-says-this-forecaster-who-offers-his-trade-of-the-year-9c2a2332 OUTLOOK 2026 Promise and Pressure - J.P. Morgan (Discusses AI market stability vs bubble risks) https://www.jpmorgan.com/content/dam/jpmorgan/documents/wealth-management/outlook-2026.pdf Tags: Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, AI Predictions, NotebookLM, HTR, AI Browsers, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude

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  The Family History AI Show

  EP38: 2025 Year in Review, A Look Back at Our 2025 AI Predictions, The Reasoning Revolution

  Dec 7, 202556 min

  Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little present a special year-end episode, comparing their 2025 AI predictions to what actually unfolded in 2025. This episode is a great review of the top AI advancements in 2025! The hosts examine which predictions hit the mark, including the agentic AI hype cycle, plummeting AI costs driven by DeepSeek, and the dethroning of OpenAI as the top AI model. They also explore predictions that proved partially accurate, such as the shift to local language models and the adoption of AI in social media. Mark and Steve have a good laugh over their biggest misses, including breakthroughs in text-in-image generation, image restoration, and vibe coding. They highlight how reasoning models were the transformative force behind nearly every major AI advancement in 2025. The episode closes with a preview of next week's 2026 predictions episode. Timestamps: 03:30 Agents, Agents, Everywhere: Deep Research and Agentic Browsers 09:49 Cost of AI Drops Like a Rock: DeepSeek Disrupts the Market 12:26 OpenAI Dethroned: Gemini and Anthropic Rise 18:46 Local Language Models 23:54 AI Invades Social Media 28:24 AI-Enhanced Writing: From Grammar Checking to Ghost Writers 32:30 Family Tree Diagrams: Possible But Not Practical 36:03 Handwriting Recognition: Reasoning Improves Results 38:01 Reasoning Models: 2025’s Most Important Advancement 41:31 Text in Images: A Solved Problem 45:05 Image Restoration: Breakthroughs and Responsibilities 51:02 Vibe Coding: Speaking Software Into Being Resource Links: Register for a Class with the Family History AI Show Academy https://tixoom.app/fhaishow Agentic AI Agentic AI In-Depth Report 2025 https://hblabgroup.com/agentic-ai-in-depth-report/ Perplexity's New AI-First Browser Kicks Off Agentic Applications https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenwolfepereira/2025/07/11/perplexitys-new-ai-first-browser-is-kicking-off-agentic-applications/ Cost of AI State of AI in 10 Charts https://hai.stanford.edu/news/ai-index-2025-state-of-ai-in-10-charts Free AI Tools 2025 https://thehumanprompts.com/free-ai-tools-2025-platforms/ OpenAI Dethroned Geoffrey Hinton says Google is 'beginning to overtake' OpenAI https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-godfather-geoffrey-hinton-google-overtaking-openai-2025-12 Local AI Hardware Assessing the On-Device Artificial Intelligence (AI) Opportunity https://www.qualcomm.com/content/dam/qcomm-martech/dm-assets/documents/assessing-the-on-device-ai-opportunity.pdf Family Tree Diagrams Explore how powerful AI image editing can support advanced creative workflows. https://deepmind.google/models/gemini-image/pro/ Text in Images Nano Banana Pro Review: Is Google's AI Image Generator Too Good? https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/google-nano-banana-pro-ai-image-generator-review/ Vibe Coding No code, big dreams https://www.businessinsider.com/non-technical-people-vibecoding-lessons-ai-apps-2025-9 Image Restoration Responsible AI Photo Restoration https://makingfamilyhistory.com/responsible-ai-photo-restoration/ Protecting Trust in Historical Images https://craigen.org/protecting-trust-in-historical-images/ Tags: Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, AI Predictions, Reasoning Models, DeepSeek, Gemini, Image Restoration, Vibe Coding, Agentic AI

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