The Family History AI Show

This episode is sponsored by the Family History AI Show Academy

Beginning October 27, 2026, Mark and Steve are teaching Advanced Family History AI, the Level II course in their Family History AI series. The course is designed for genealogists with several months of experience using artificial intelligence tools who are ready to move beyond basic prompting to new tools and powerful techniques for researching and telling their family's story.

Register for Mark and Steve's classes at:
https://tixoom.app/fhaishow
DescriptionCo-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little report from the East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference in Boston, where genetic genealogists were adopting artificial intelligence far faster than expected. They then look at Ancestry's AI Stories, which turn a single record into a narrated story about an ancestor, and why the record itself should remain the evidence.
The hosts explain why new models solving century-old math problems matter to family historians, as experienced genealogists begin bringing their hardest research problems to these tools, and what the planned retirement of custom GPTs means for researchers who rely on them for their saved prompts.

In the Tip of the Week, Mark sets up a scheduled agent that checks Ancestry, MyHeritage, Findmypast, Library and Archives Canada, and other repositories each week for newly released records in the places he researches, and compares how Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini handle the job.

In RapidFire, the hosts cover Claude's memory controls, which can keep one family's research from bleeding into another's, Apple's Gemini-powered Siri, and the calls to slow artificial intelligence development, ending with a reminder that genealogists can already do far more with today's tools than most realize.

TimestampsOpening00:06 Family History AI Show Academy: Advanced Family History AI Course
01:35 Trends from the East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference: Adoption Goes Mainstream
05:46 Today's Headlines: A Preview of the Episode
In the News07:18 New Features at Ancestry: Document Transcription and AI Stories
11:18 Artificial Intelligence Model News: Claude Fable 5.1, GPT-6 Astra, and Navier-Stokes
20:34 Another Round of Simplification: Claude Merges Chat and Cowork, Custom GPTs Retire
Tip of the Week30:05 Scheduling Your Artificial Intelligence Agent: Weekly Checks for New Record Collections
RapidFire42:56 Claude Memory: Editable, Project-Aware, and Worth Checking
49:50 Apple's Smarter Siri (Again): Google Gemini Under the Hood
54:03 Calls to Slow Down Artificial Intelligence: Separating Real Risks from Headlines
Final Thoughts1:16:53 Episode Wrap

Resource LinksFamily History AI Show Academy
Advanced Family History AI Course Registration
https://tixoom.app/fhaishow
Trends from the East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference
East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference
https://ecggc.org/
New Features at Ancestry
Ancestry Brings Family History to Life with New AI-Powered Stories
https://www.ancestry.com/c/ancestry-blog/ancestry-news/ancestry-brings-family-history-to-life-with-new-ai-powered-stori
Build Deeper Connections with Ancestry's Redesigned Record Page
https://www.ancestry.com/c/ancestry-blog/ancestry-news/redesigned-record-page-fosters-easier-discoveries
The Science Behind Full-Text Search on Ancestry
https://www.ancestry.com/c/ancestry-blog/ancestry-news/ancestry-uses-science-and-ai-resources-to-transcribe-historical-documents/
Artificial Intelligence Model News
Introducing Claude Fable 5.1 and Claude Mythos 5.1
https://www.anthropic.com/claude-fable-and-mythos-5-1
GPT-6 Astra: A New Generation of Intelligence
https://openai.com/index/gpt-6-astra/
OpenAI on the Navier-Stokes Millennium Prize Problem
https://openai.com/index/navier-stokes-solution/
Another Round of Simplification
Claude Cowork and Chat Are Now One Claude
https://claude.com/blog/cowork-is-now-claude
Custom GPT Retirement and Migration FAQ: Retirement Planned for December 11, 2026
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001519-custom-gpt-retirement-and-migration-faq
Scheduling Your Artificial Intelligence Agent
Schedule Recurring Tasks in Claude Cowork
https://support.claude.com/en/articles/13854387-schedule-recurring-tasks-in-claude-cowork
Scheduled Tasks in ChatGPT
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/10291617-scheduled-tasks-in-chatgpt
Create and Manage Schedules for Tasks in Gemini Spark
https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/17094710
Claude Memory
Use Claude's Chat Search and Memory to Build on Previous Context
https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11817273-use-claude-s-chat-search-and-memory-to-build-on-previous-context
Apple's Smarter Siri
Siri AI, a Profoundly More Capable and Personal Assistant, Is Here
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/09/siri-ai-a-profoundly-more-capable-and-personal-assistant-is-here/
Calls to Slow Down Artificial Intelligence
Dario Amodei: We Must Pace the Frontier
https://darioamodei.com/post/we-must-pace-the-frontier

TagsArtificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, Anthropic, OpenAI, Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Ancestry, AI Stories, Scheduled Agents, Custom GPTs, Claude Cowork, AI Memory, Apple Intelligence, Siri, Navier-Stokes, AI Safety, Record Collections, Genetic Genealogy

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/

TimestampsOpening00:16 East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference in Boston
In the News03:40 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 Week16:20 Connecting ChatGPT Desktop to Excel: Rebuilding a Complex Spreadsheet
RapidFire25:58 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 Thoughts46:10 Episode Wrap and Boston Send-Off

Resource LinksEast 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/

TagsArtificial 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

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.
TimestampsOpening00:05 GRIP 2026 Course Announcements
In the News05:03 MyHeritage Scribe AI: Record and Photo Analysis for Genealogists
Interview14:58 Dave Vance, Family Tree DNA: Next-Generation Sequencing and AI in Genetic Genealogy
RapidFire45:54 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 Thoughts1:08:19 Episode Wrap and Next Interview Preview
Resource LinksGRIP 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
TagsArtificial 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

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

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