Tag: AI

Maintenance, Sources and resources

AI Can Help You Use Family History Software

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Family history software is a powerful tool, but it can be confusing, especially when you are just starting out. There are a lot of features to learn. When something goes wrong, it is not always easy to figure out why, or how to fix it.

Most software includes a built-in Help system. Many programs also have online support pages, community forums, and printed manuals. These are useful resources, but finding the right answer can take time. You may need to read several articles before things make sense.

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools offer a faster, more personal way to get help. Instead of sifting through pages of documentation, you can simply ask a question and get a direct, clear answer.

What Can AI Do for You?

AI tools can do far more than answer basic questions. Here is what they can help with:

  • Explain software features in plain language, tailored to your level of experience.
  • Provide step-by-step instructions for specific tasks.
  • Explain error messages: what caused the problem, how to fix it, and how to avoid it next time.
  • Suggest troubleshooting steps when something is not working as expected.
  • Combine information from multiple help articles into one clear answer.
  • Fill in the “why” behind instructions, not just the “how.”
  • Help you understand when and why to use specific features, reports, and tools.
  • Convert a PDF report exported from your software into a structured spreadsheet.

One of the biggest advantages of AI is that it is conversational. You can go back and forth, asking follow-up questions, sharing what you see on your screen, and refining your question until you get the answer you need.

What AI Cannot Do

It is important to understand the limits. AI tools cannot directly access your software or its built-in Help system. They work from publicly available information, which means they can draw on:

  • Help pages published on the software provider’s website.
  • Documents and manuals you upload directly to the AI tool.

This means your results will be better when you point the AI to the right resources, or provide them yourself. More on that below.

Also keep in mind that AI can make mistakes. Always review any instructions carefully before making changes to your data, especially when importing or editing records. And make sure that you back up your files regularly.

How to Ask AI for Help

Getting good results from AI comes down to asking good questions. Here are some tips:

  • Be specific. Name the software you are using and describe exactly what you are trying to do.
  • Describe what you see. Mention any error messages, unexpected behaviour, or screen details.
  • Provide the link to the relevant help page for your software. This gives the AI a reliable, accurate source to work from.
  • Upload files if needed. You can share a copy of your software manual, or a PDF report you want to work with.
  • Ask follow-up questions. If the answer is unclear, ask the AI to explain further or give an example.

Example Questions to Try

Below are examples written for Legacy Family Tree software. You can adapt these for whichever program you use. Notice that each question names the software and includes a link to the official help page.

How do I upload a GEDCOM file into Legacy Family Tree software, and does it need any fixing after doing so? Use the Help page on Legacy to answer the question and explain it for a beginner: https://legacyfamilytree.com/help/en/

How do I format place names in Legacy Family Tree software properly, and how do I fix existing ones that are not properly formatted? The help page on Legacy is: https://legacyfamilytree.com/help/en/

How do I delete events from Legacy Family Tree software without generating an error message saying it cannot have an empty line? The help page on Legacy is: https://legacyfamilytree.com/help/en/

These prompts follow a simple pattern: state the task, name the software, specify the audience if relevant, and provide the help page URL. This structure consistently produces better results.

ChatGPT’s response to my question about place name formatting incorporated Australian examples, as it knows that is a focus of my research from previous chats.

Using Your Software Manual with AI

Many software programs come with a downloadable manual. You can upload this directly to an AI tool and ask questions based on its contents. This approach works well because the AI has access to detailed, accurate documentation rather than relying on general web knowledge.

Most AI tools allow file uploads, though some have size limits. Check the tool’s settings or help page to confirm what file types and sizes are accepted.

Using NotebookLM for Ongoing Support

NotebookLM is a free AI tool from Google that is particularly well suited to this approach. You can create a dedicated notebook for your software, upload the manual once, and it will be there every time you return with a new question. You do not need to re-upload the file each session.

This makes NotebookLM a useful long-term resource, especially if you work with the same software regularly.

Converting Software Reports to Spreadsheets

Many family history programs let you export reports in CSV format, which can then be saved as an Excel file. However, I have found that this often results in formatting problems, with the text not placed neatly in appropriate columns. In the past, it used to take me some time to reformat the spreadsheet to my liking.

Now I just export the report as a PDF and ask AI to convert it into a properly structured spreadsheet. You do need to instruct the AI clearly about what you want in the spreadsheet, such as the columns. It also helps if you give it an example or an explanation of what goes into each column. This means creating a prompt and saving it somewhere for next time, so that you don’t have to go through the instruction process every time.

Here is an example prompt for how I convert a Potential Problems report from Legacy Family Tree software into an Excel spreadsheet, with an extra column that I can use to mark off as problems are resolved:

Convert the attached report to a spreadsheet format with five columns: ID, Name, Problem, Notes, and Resolved. In this report, each entry begins with a four-digit number followed by a name. Place the four-digit number in the ID column and the name in the Name column. The text in bold goes in the Problem column, and the remaining text of each entry goes in the Notes column. Leave the Resolved column blank. Start a new row for each four-digit number, with one row per problem.

You can adapt this prompt for other report types by describing the structure of your specific report.

Encourage AI to ask questions if your instructions are not clear enough. I used this response to revise my prompt for future requests to convert a PDF of the Potential Problems Report to a spreadsheet.
AI may even suggest improvements to your spreadsheet, if it understands what you want to use it for. Here is a suggestion I received from ChatGPT for the Potential Problems spreadsheet.

Which AI Tools to Use

Several AI tools are well suited to this kind of work. The most widely used options include ChatGPT (from OpenAI), Claude (from Anthropic), Gemini (from Google), and Copilot (from Microsoft). All of these can answer questions, interpret help articles, and process uploaded documents.

NotebookLM (also from Google) is particularly useful if you want to work with a specific document, such as a software manual, on an ongoing basis.

Most of these tools offer a free tier with sufficient capability for occasional use. Paid plans provide higher usage limits and access to more advanced features.

Try it out

Use AI to learn more of the features of your software and fix problems, to make your family history more accurate and more enjoyable. Try different tools with the same question and compare their answers, to see which one you prefer to work with.

About the Author

Danielle Lautrec is a genealogy educator, researcher, and author of The Good Genealogist. With qualifications in history, family history, and historical archaeology, she teaches for the Society of Australian Genealogists. Danielle convenes the Society’s Legacy Software Users Group and the Source Citations Group and is co-convenor of the Society’s DNA Research Groups.

For more articles on documenting your family history, go to the Document page.

Sources and resources

AI-Generated Images in Family History: Ethics, Accuracy and Avoiding Historical Fakes

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What if future genealogists discovered a beautiful photograph of your great-great-grandmother in your family archive, only to learn decades later that it was a fake? As AI-generated images become increasingly sophisticated and accessible, family historians face an unprecedented challenge: how do we harness this powerful storytelling tool without compromising the historical integrity that lies at the heart of our work?

Disclaimer: The information in this article is general and should not be relied on as legal advice.

AI-generated images are new images created by a machine based on training data and a text prompt provided by a user. Images can be in a variety of styles, ranging from ones that look like real photographs, to paintings and line drawings. There are significant advantages in using AI-generated images for family history, but the use also raises complex issues that we need to navigate carefully.

This article focuses on responsible use of AI-generated images, not image creation techniques.

Why use AI-generated images in family history?

Images are powerful tools for storytelling. They can enhance your family history narratives, illustrate imagined scenes, and create reconstructions of places your family lived or events they participated in.

Genealogists sometimes use AI to generate images of what their ancestors may have looked like. This is particularly valuable when you don’t have photographs of your ancestors.

AI-generated images are especially useful for periods before the invention of photography, or where historical photographs are simply not available. They can bring historical contexts to life in ways that text alone cannot achieve.

Understanding legal and ethical considerations

Using AI-generated images does not appear to result in copyright violations under Australian law. While the training data used by AI models may include works protected by copyright, it remains unclear whether laws have been broken by this process. The AI tool itself cannot own copyright.

Despite this legal position, many living artists object to their works being used to train AI without consent or compensation. [1]

This raises important ethical considerations for us as users of AI models. We need to consider the impact on creative communities when we choose to use these tools.

The general consensus in Australia is that you may hold copyright in an AI-generated image if you contributed sufficient creative input. There is no definitive answer to how much contribution is enough, but it would presumably require more than using a simple text prompt. [2]

Making AI images your own through creative input

One way to address both copyright and ethical concerns is to contribute significant creative input to your AI-generated images.

You can do this by:

  • Describing specific elements to include when you ask AI to generate an image, rather than referencing copyrighted works
  • Requesting general styles instead of specific artists or brands (for example, ‘impressionist style’ rather than ‘Monet-style’)
  • Using your own photographs as reference material for the AI
  • Modifying outputs using image editing tools like Canva or Photoshop.
AI generated image of a painting of a church in watercolour style

Example: I recently created this AI-generated watercolour of a Cotswold church by uploading my own photograph as reference material. I was experimenting with AI as an artistic tool. Because this was just a decorative image for Instagram rather than historical documentation, I added a simple caption acknowledging that it was AI-generated. No source citation was needed in this context.

Creating historically accurate and appropriate images

Accuracy and authenticity are fundamental principles in family history. This principle must extend to images as well as written documentation.

When creating AI-generated images based on historical evidence:

  • If available, provide the AI with reference photographs showing period clothing, building styles, and actual locations
  • Include descriptions from reliable historical sources as part of your text prompts
  • Cross-check important details such as weather patterns, terrain, and cultural customs
  • Be aware of potential anachronisms that AI might introduce
  • Consider consulting historical experts when recreating specific time periods or events.

Remember that AI models do not understand context the way humans do. They might combine elements from different time periods inappropriately.

Photo restoration versus image creation

AI tools can also enhance or restore damaged historical photographs. This is generally excellent for preservation purposes. However, integrity must still be maintained.

When using AI for photo restoration:

  • Clearly document what has been restored or enhanced
  • Keep the original unaltered version
  • Be transparent about the extent of AI involvement
  • Consider whether restored elements are based on evidence or speculation.

The same principles of attribution and transparency that apply to entirely AI-generated images also apply to AI-enhanced historical photographs.

When and how to disclose AI use

There is no legal obligation in Australia to indicate that AI was used to generate an image. However, you may choose to do so for transparency and to maintain trust with your audience.

The key question is: what are the potential consequences if someone was not aware that the image was AI-generated?

For decorative illustrations used on social media, disclosure might be as simple as a caption overlay. However, if you’re creating what appears to be a photograph of an ancestor, the implications are significant. As family historians, we are creating historical records. It is crucial that they be identified accurately.

Context determines the level of attribution needed. Over-attribution can be unnecessary and distracting. Under-attribution can be misleading and potentially harmful to historical accuracy.

How to label AI-generated images

For transparency, images used in formal family history documentation should be accompanied by appropriate captions and source citations.

See my example, below. You could also include the text prompt used and the name of the AI model, but this is optional.

AI generated image in painting style of a man rowing three people in a skiff on a river
AI-generated image of a Thames waterman (Lautrec, Danielle, ‘A 19th century Thames waterman rowing three people in a skiff on the River Thames, inspired by contemporary paintings’, AI-generated image, [optional: include the AI model] January 2025.)

The caption format is based on guidance from the University of Melbourne.

The citation format follows advice from the Arts Law Centre of Australia that copyright law only recognises the human creator, not AI, as the author.

Since images can become separated from their captions, consider adding a watermark or text overlay indicating AI generation for important historical images. You can also include that information in the alt-text for online images.

Organising and managing your AI-generated files

The last thing you want as a family historian is to forget that an image you created was not genuine. Prevent this problem by using file naming systems that clearly identify AI-generated content.

Examples:

  • PollardFarmhouse_MadronCornwall_1860_AI.jpg
  • AI_PollardFarmhouse_MadronCornwall_1860.jpg (groups AI files together alphabetically)

Include AI-generation information in image metadata as well. This creates multiple safeguards against future confusion.

Evaluating AI-generated images from others

Family historians must always analyse the authenticity and reliability of sources. This has become even more critical with AI-generated content becoming widespread.

Only use images with reliable provenance. If you use an AI-generated image that someone else produced, include the original caption and source citation. Don’t assume that undocumented images are genuine historical photographs.

Develop skills in spotting AI-generated images. Look for telltale signs like unusual textures, inconsistent lighting, or anatomical irregularities.

Conclusion

AI-generated images offer exciting opportunities for family history research and storytelling. They can bring our ancestors’ worlds to life in unprecedented ways.

However, with this power comes responsibility. We must use these tools ethically, transparently, and with full consideration for their impact on artistic communities and historical integrity.

The key is thoughtful application. Consider your purpose, your audience, and the potential consequences of your choices. When in doubt, err on the side of transparency and proper attribution.

By following these principles, we can harness the benefits of AI while maintaining the trust and accuracy that are fundamental to good family history practice.

More information

For more of my articles on documenting your family history, go to the Document page.

Footnotes:

[1] See, for example, Shaffi, S. ‘It’s the opposite of art’: Why illustrators are furious about AI. The Guardian.

[2] See AI and Copyright in Australia, The Copyright Agency, and Artificial Intelligence and Copyright, Arts Law Centre of Australia

The feature image (banner) of this article was generated by AI within WordPress, based on the text of the article.