Olympia Genealogical Society

2025 Seminar

Blaine Bettinger
"AI (Artificial Intelligence) Made Easy:
Boosting Your Genealogy Research with Technology"
 
Date: Saturday, February 1, 2025, 8:50 am to 2:30 pm PST
 
Speaker: Blaine Bettinger, Ph.D., J.D., is a professional genealogist specializing in DNA evidence and the use of artificial intelligence for genealogical research. He is the author of the long-running blog The Genetic Genealogist, and frequently gives presentations and webinars to educate others about the use of DNA and artificial intelligence.
 
Printable 1-page flyer (8-1/2 x 11 pdf) (To be provided)
 
Seminar Program: Four one-hour presentations focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and genealogy.
 
Registration (Required; opens Nov 14):
-- Your payment receipt is your registration confirmation. As the Seminar approaches, registrants will receive additional information via email.
-- A recording of each presentation will be available for 30 days after the Seminar for those who were registered.
 
Seminar Program Outline: (Program details)
-- Using Artificial Intelligence Tools for Genealogy
-- 10 Generative AI Prompts Every Genealogist Needs to Know
-- Ethical Issues Associated with Generative Artificial Intelligence
-- Memories in the Digital Age: AI Transcription of Handwritten Diaries
 
Questions: Email us at Seminar@OlyGenSoc.org
 
 

 

Seminar Program:

1. Using Artificial Intelligence Tools for Genealogy – Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable new tool for genealogists, potentially saving 100s of hours a year and offering new ways to organize our research. However, these tools have important limitations that must be understood in order to utilize them properly and efficiently. We will cover the benefits and limitations of generative AI, and how you can explore this entirely new field without becoming overwhelmed!
 
2. 10 Generative AI Prompts Every Genealogist Needs to Know – The “prompt” is perhaps the most important aspect of generative artificial intelligence (AI). The prompt is how we direct AI tools to give us the output we desire. However, forming these prompts can be challenging and is rarely a one-shot attempt. We will identify how to formulate (and reformulate!) AI prompts and look at ten example prompts that can save us significant time and effort.
 
3. Ethical Issues Associated with Generative Artificial Intelligence – Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable new tool for genealogists, potentially saving hundreds of hours a year and offering new ways to organize our research. However, these tools also raise numerous potential ethical issues for genealogists. We will discuss many of these issues including plagiarism, copyright infringement, and more, so that you can avoid problems while exploiting AI tools for your benefit.
 
4. Memories in the Digital Age: AI Transcription of Handwritten Diaries – My mother kept a diary off and on throughout her adult life. She recently passed, and I would like to preserve her diaries and be able to share the content with my siblings. Follow along as I digitize and transcribe her handwritten journals using artificial intelligence (AI).
 

 

Detailed Agenda:

[To be provided]
 
 
Participants can either keep their connection open on Zoom during each break or log off and return prior to the start of the next presentation.
 
The day before the webinar each registered attendee will receive an email with a Zoom link and the syllabus for each of the four sessions.
 
During the webinar, participants will be able to ask questions by typing them in a "chat box". Time permitting, questions submitted by participants will be read by a moderator for Blaine's response at the end of each presentation.