Demystifying AI: My Latest Family History Adventure
My Ancestors Meet AI: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
My family history research is full of learning, discovery and, yes, frustration. Interpreting DNA results, chasing elusive ancestors or transcribing spidery old handwriting can be slow, fiddly work. And as another birthday rolled around, I found myself wondering how to keep up with my ever-growing list of research projects.
Should Artificial Intelligence (AI) join my research toolkit?
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| Image produced using ChatGPT |
The first thing I learned? There’s a lot of choice out there. Several AI platforms are popular in the family history community.
ChatGPT and Claude seem to lead the pack. I decided to start with the free version of ChatGPT. Before long, I’d upgraded to a paid subscription.
As I said in my talk, we need to inform ourselves before using a new tool — just like when we take a DNA test. I wouldn’t share sensitive information with a third party. I follow the same rule with chatbots like ChatGPT. One thing I appreciate is the ability to adjust settings so that my conversations aren't stored or used to train the AI further. That gives me more control over my data.
And so began my introduction to a whole new vocabulary…
Chatbot? I’d been talking to them for years without realising — Siri, Alexa, and now ChatGPT. Then came other curious terms like artefacts and hallucinations, which had me scratching my head—until I realised they were just tech jargon for templates and mistakes.
As I played around, I realised how much potential AI had to lighten the load in my family history research. There's a lot of focus on using AI to produce images and the pros and cons of doing this but I was really looking for more.
So I asked ChatGPT how it could help in my family history research. Here's the response-
🛠️ How Can AI Help Family Historians?
"AI can’t replace thoughtful research—but it can lend a hand with:
📝 Transcribing old handwritten records
📰 Summarising long newspaper articles
🧬 Interpreting DNA match groupings
🖼️ Enhancing, colourising, or restoring photos
📅 Creating timelines or profile summaries
It’s like having a digital assistant that works quickly and tirelessly—but sometimes with a bit of a wonky sense of logic!"
I'm now starting to explore AI tools and testing them to see how useful and reliable they are. One I’ve spent some time with is Mark Thompson’s Historical Photo Analyzer. It’s a free, AI-powered tool that helps examine old family photos by identifying details like clothing styles, likely dates, gender, and even age ranges. It doesn’t magically tell you who’s in the photo—but it gives you smart clues that can narrow down the possibilities.
Mark is a Canadian professional genealogist with an impressive bio you can view HERE. I follow his podcasts, presentations and blog which made me think the tool could help me.
I stared by uploading this photo of my great-grandparents, Francis Gersbach and Margaret Killion.
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| You can read about the photo in this post. |
Within seconds, I had this detailed response-
"Alright, let's dive into this one—definitely a charming old portrait, and there’s a lot going on if you take the time to look closely. Here's a breakdown of what I'm seeing and the reasoning behind it:
| Observation | Rationale |
|---|---|
| Time Period: Likely 1880s-1890s | The woman's dress, with its tight corseted waist, bustle, and high collar, matches fashion trends from the late Victorian era. The man's high-buttoned coat and the style of his mustache also align with this time. |
| Photograph Type: Cabinet Card or Tintype | The sepia tone, cardboard mounting, and wear around the edges are classic characteristics of cabinet cards or tintypes from the late 19th century. |
Subjects: A couple (possibly married) | Their pose suggests a close relationship: the woman standing with a hand on the man’s shoulder is a common pose for married or engaged couples. |
Setting: Outdoor or faux-outdoor studio backdrop | While it looks like they’re outside, the background has a painterly quality—probably a studio backdrop mimicking a garden or park scene. The urn and stone pedestal might be studio props. |
| Mood and Intention: Formal yet personal | They aren’t smiling (very common for the time due to long exposure), but the pose is relatively relaxed. The man's casual hold on his hat and the woman's slightly tilted posture suggest an attempt to blend formality with personality. |
Condition: Moderate wear, corners fraying | The photo shows signs of aging—fading, foxing, and edge wear—but it’s still intact and relatively clear. |
Clothing Detail: Upper-middle class fashion | The intricate detail on the woman’s dress and the man’s neat suit suggest they were relatively well-off, at least enough to afford a formal photograph. |
Photographic Technique: Natural light or soft artificial lighting | The shadows are gentle and the lighting flat, which suggests either natural diffuse light or soft studio lighting typical of the era. |
Points of Ambiguity or Uncertainty:
Exact location: Without a photographer’s imprint or studio name on the front or back, it’s hard to place this geographically.
Relationship: While they look like a couple, they could be siblings or close friends.
Backdrop: Whether the urn and pedestal are real or painted props is a bit unclear due to the photo's aging and soft focus.
If you happen to have the back of the photo or any family lore about it, that might help us nail down some of the lingering questions—especially the “where” and “who.” Want to dig into it more together?"
While I could answer some of the questions, I simply uploaded the second photo to see what would happen next. Amazing results again.
"Nice! This second photo adds a lot to the story. It looks like the same man from the first photo, but in a solo portrait. Let’s break this one down in detail and see how it ties in.
| Observation | Rationale |
|---|---|
Subject: Young adult male, likely early 20s to early 30s | Judging by his facial features and lack of aging signs, he looks to be in the younger adult range. |
| Time Period: Again, likely 1880s-1890s | His hairstyle, the turned-down collar with a small tie, and the cut of his coat all match men's fashion of the late 19th century. The squared-off photo corners also match the cabinet card era. |
Facial Hair: Moustache and sideburns | Common style at the time, especially in North America and Britain. It’s a less dramatic version of mutton chops—quite fashionable in the 1880s. |
| Photographic Type: Cabinet card portrait | The size, style, sepia tone, and the mounting on cardstock suggest this is a cabinet card—a popular format for portraiture from 1866 through the early 1900s. |
| Pose and Lighting: Formal studio setting | The head-and-shoulders pose, direct gaze, and uniform lighting suggest a traditional studio setup with controlled exposure. |
Condition: Water damage/staining present | There’s visible damage on the left side (possibly from moisture), as well as some fading—pretty typical wear for a photo over 130 years old. |
| Jacket Details: Tailored and buttoned-up | The styling suggests some degree of affluence or at least a desire to present oneself well—maybe for a special occasion like an engagement, wedding, or formal family portrait. |
Tie-in with the Previous Photo:
Same individual? Very likely. The facial hair, hairstyle, and clothing style are a strong match. In the couple’s portrait, he’s sitting with a bowler hat, but the facial structure and sideburns align well with this solo image.
Purpose: This could be a companion piece to the couple's photo—either taken around the same time or possibly given to family members. It was very common to have individual and couple portraits taken during the same sitting.
Points of Ambiguity or Uncertainty:
Photographer’s studio or location: There’s no studio mark visible on the front. If there’s any print or embossing on the back, it could really help pinpoint the studio or region.
Exact relationship to the woman: Still unclear, but this second portrait supports the idea that this guy was someone of note in the family—maybe the primary subject or the “giver” of the photo (e.g., a groom or fiancé).
Do you have the back of this one too? Or any others in the same style or format? Happy to help stitch it all together if you’re building out a family history."
You can try Mark's Photo Analyzer yourself: Mark Thompson's Historical Photo Analyzer
Let us know if you have success with old photos by sharing the photo and results!
Finally, I asked my new AI friend for some general tips-
🧭 Tips for Using AI Wisely in Your Research
"Here are a few simple rules to follow:
Let AI assist, but don’t let it lead. You’re still the researcher.
Use AI to speed up repetitive tasks (like summarising or formatting).
Always verify AI responses with trusted sources.
Ask clear, specific questions to get better results.
Expect surprises—but stay sceptical. Treat AI results like clues, not conclusions."