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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

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

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little examine Google's groundbreaking Gemini 3 release, which delivers state-of-the-art multimodal reasoning and sets a new benchmark for AI capabilities. They also explore ChatGPT's upgrade to version 5.1 with improved instruction following and better handling of longer conversation. The hosts discuss Canva's new Creative Operating System, which now generates AI-powered designs directly within the platform. This week's Tip of the Week demonstrates how Gemini 3 can use the context you provide it to greatly improve the accuracy of your hand written transcription. In RapidFire, they cover NotebookLM's new deep research mode, Nano Banana's integration into Photoshop, Anthropic's privacy policy changes regarding training data, and how Claude's new usage monitoring feature can reduce your stress level. Timestamps:In the News: 04:17 Google Gemini 3’s Multimodal AI Reaches New Heights 13:47 ChatGPT 5.1 upgrade is now better at following your Instructions 22:39 Canva Creative Operating System: AI-Powered Design Generation Tip of the Week: 26:21 Adding Reasoning to Your Transcriptions Improves Accuracy RapidFire: 36:40 NotebookLM Becomes a Fully Featured Research Tool 43:40 Nano Banana is Now Available in Photoshop 47:20 Anthropic Announces Claude Chats Will Be Used for Training Data 54:13 View Your Claude Usage in Settings Resource Links:Intro to Family History AI by the Family History AI Show Academy https://tixoom.app/fhaishow Google Gemini 3 Introducing Gemini 3: A New Era of Intelligence https://blog.google/products/gemini/gemini-3/ ChatGPT 5.1 A smarter, more conversational https://openai.com/index/gpt-5-1/ GPT-5.1 New Features Explained https://scalevise.com/resources/gpt-5-1-new-features/ Canva Creative Operating System Introducing Canva's Creative Operating System https://www.canva.com/newsroom/news/creative-operating-system/ NotebookLM Deep Research NotebookLM adds Deep Research and support for more source types https://blog.google/technology/google-labs/notebooklm-deep-research-file-types/ Nano Banana in Photoshop Create with unlimited generations using Google Gemini 3 (Nano Banana Pro) in Adobe Firefly https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2025/11/20/google-gemini-3-nano-banana-pro-firefly-photoshop Anthropic Privacy Policy Update Anthropic Will Use Claude Chats for Training Data: How to Opt Out https://www.wired.com/story/anthropic-using-claude-chats-for-training-how-to-opt-out/ Updates to Consumer Terms and Privacy Policy https://www.anthropic.com/news/updates-to-our-consumer-terms Claude Usage Monitoring Usage Limit Best Practices https://support.claude.com/en/articles/9797557-usage-limit-best-practices Tags:Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Canva, NotebookLM, Nano Banana, Anthropic Claude, Photo Restoration

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little discuss how new AI browsers are changing how genealogists research. They compare OpenAI's Atlas, Microsoft Edge, Google's Gemini, and Perplexity's Comet, explaining which features help family historians most. The hosts share lessons from the early AOL era that can be applied to the AI era. They also explore Anthropic's new Haiku 4.5, a very fast model that works great for simple tasks like transcription and summarization. Don’t miss this week's Tip of the Week, where Steve shows how AI can help you write better AI prompts. He uses an example for extracting information from draft cards to show how useful this approach can be. In RapidFire, they cover new AI features in spreadsheets, major improvements in transcribing old handwriting, and how Microsoft Copilot's new agent store tries to help you with common tasks. Timestamps:In the News: 01:20 Browser Wars Heat Up: OpenAI Atlas, Edge, and Gemini Compete 16:50 What AI Can Learn from AOL: Avoiding Walled Garden Mistakes 29:10 Anthropic's Haiku 4.5: When Smaller Models Beat Bigger Ones Tip of the Week: 39:50 Using AI to Write Better Prompts for Historical Documents RapidFire: 47:19 AI Makes Spreadsheets Easier: Google Sheets vs Excel 54:35 Reading Old Handwriting Gets Better: DeepSeek and Google Updates 01:05:15 Microsoft Copilot Adds Writing and Prompt Coaches Resource Links:Genealogy and AI Facebook to hit 20k users! https://www.facebook.com/groups/genealogyandai An In-Depth Look at OpenAI's AI Browser https://intuitionlabs.ai/articles/chatgpt-atlas-openai-browser DeepSeek AI created DeepSeek-OCR  https://www.infoq.com/news/2025/10/deepseek-ocr/ Nearly perfect on handwriting recognition https://generativehistory.substack.com/p/has-google-quietly-solved-two-of Global AI Browser Market Size https://market.us/report/ai-browser-market/ Benchmarking Claude Haiku 4.5 and Sonnet 4.5 on 400 Real PRs https://www.qodo.ai/blog/thinking-vs-thinking-benchmarking-claude-haiku-4-5-and-sonnet-4-5-on-400-real-prs/ Anthropic’s Claude Haiku 4.5 Brings Enterprise-Grade Speed and Savings to Customer-Facing AI https://www.cxtoday.com/contact-center/anthropics-claude-haiku-4-5-brings-enterprise-grade-speed-and-savings-to-customer-facing-ai/ Top 10 AI Spreadsheet Tools https://www.knack.com/blog/top-ai-spreadsheet-tools/ Prompt Coach: Prebuilt agent for Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat https://rishonapowerplatform.com/2025/03/11/prompt-coach-prebuilt-agent-for-microsoft-365-copilot-chat/ Tags:Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, AI Browsers, OpenAI Atlas, Google Gemini, Microsoft Edge, Perplexity Comet, Anthropic Haiku, Meta-Prompting, Spreadsheet AI, OCR Technology, Handwritten Text, DeepSeek, Microsoft Copilot, AI Agents, Document Extraction, Family History, Browser Wars, AI Models

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore how Google's Nano Banana photo restoration tool will revolutionize image restoration by integrating with Adobe Photoshop. This move will greatly reduce unintended changes to historical photos when editing them with AI. Next, they unpack OpenAI’s move to make ChatGPT Projects available to free-tier users, making research organization more accessible for genealogists. This week's Tip of the Week provides essential guidance on the responsible use AI when editing historical photos using AI tools like Nano Banana, ensuring transparency and trust in historical photographs. In RapidFire, they cover OpenAI's new Sora 2 AI-video social media platform, Claude's new ability to create and edit Microsoft Office files, memory features in Claude Projects, advancements in local language models, and how OpenAI's massive infrastructure deals are changing the AI landscape. Timestamps: In the News: 02:43 Adobe improves historical photo restoration by adding Nano Banana to Photoshop 09:34 ChatGPT Projects are Now Free Tip of the Week: 13:36 Citations for AI-Restored Images Build Trust in AI-Modified Photos RapidFire: 21:24 Sora 2 Goes Social 27:23 Claude Adds Microsoft Office Creation and Editing 34:26 Memory Features Come to Claude Projects 38:32 Apple and Amazon both create Local Language Model tools 44:47 OpenAI's Big Data Centre Deal with Oracle Resource Links OpenAI announces free access to ChatGPT Projects https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes Engadget: OpenAI Rolls Out ChatGPT Projects to Free Users https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-rolls-out-chatgpt-projects-to-free-users-215027802.html Forbes: OpenAI Makes ChatGPT Projects Free https://www.forbes.com/sites/quickerbettertech/2025/09/14/small-business-technology-roundup-microsoft-copilot-does-not-improve-productivity-and-openai-makes-chatgpt-project-free/ Responsible AI Photo Restoration https://makingfamilyhistory.com/responsible-ai-photo-restoration/ Claude now has memory, but only for certain users https://mashable.com/article/anthropic-claude-ai-now-has-memory-for-some-users New Apple Intelligence features are available today https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/09/new-apple-intelligence-features-are-available-today/ Introducing Amazon Lens Live https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/search-image-amazon-lens-live-shopping-rufus Amazon Lens Live Can Scan and Pull Up Matches https://www.pcmag.com/news/spot-an-item-you-wish-to-buy-amazon-lens-live-can-scan-and-pull-up-matches A Joint Statement from OpenAI and Microsoft About Their Changing Partnership https://openai.com/index/joint-statement-from-openai-and-microsoft/ The Verge: OpenAI and Oracle Pen $300 Billion Compute Deal https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/776170/oracle-openai-300-billion-contract-project-stargate Reuters: OpenAI and Oracle Sign $300 Billion Computing Deal https://www.reuters.com/technology/openai-oracle-sign-300-billion-computing-deal-wsj-reports-2025-09-10/?utm_source=chatgpt.com Tags Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, Photo Restoration, AI Tools, OpenAI, Google, Adobe Photoshop, ChatGPT Projects, Nano Banana, Image Editing, AI Citations, Sora 2, Video Generation, Claude, Microsoft Office, Apple Intelligence, Amazon Lens, Oracle, Cloud Computing, Local Language Models, AI Infrastructure, Responsible AI, Historical Photos

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little review the biggest AI breakthroughs of 2025 so far, from DeepSeek's open-source revolution to GPT-5's unified reasoning model. Mark and Steve also celebrate FamilySearch's Full-Text Search moving from experimental labs to the main website, covering 1.4 billion records across 4,300 collections plus new summarization and filtering features. This week's Tip of the Week provides practical guidance on using Nano Banana for photo restoration, explaining when it works brilliantly and when to exercise caution with damaged images. In RapidFire, they examine competing reports on AI's environmental impact, explore Google's new AI Mode in mobile apps, and discuss the landmark antitrust ruling that forces Google to share search data with competitors. Timestamps:In the News: 03:44 2025 Mid-Year Review: AI's Explosive Growth in Genealogy 29:08 FamilySearch Full Text Search Is Now Live 37:57 AI Success Stories in the Wild: Real Genealogists, Real Results Tip of the Week: 47:53 Best Uses for Nano Banana (Gemini Nano): Small Model, Big Impact RapidFire: 59:54 AI's Environmental Debate: Energy Costs vs. Benefits 1:03:50 Google AI in Mobile Apps: What It Means for Genealogists 1:11:07 Google Antitrust Ruling Issued: Impact on AI Development Resource Links:Intro to Family History AI by the Family History AI Show Academy https://tixoom.app/fhaishow Full-Text Search (must be logged in to use this link) https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/full-text/ Full-Text Search Leaves FamilySearch Labs https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/full-text-search-leaves-familysearch-labs How do I use FullText Search? https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-use-fulltext-search Responsible AI Photo Restoration https://makingfamilyhistory.com/responsible-ai-photo-restoration/ WaPo AI Energy Usage, Sept 2024 https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/09/18/energy-ai-use-electricity-water-data-centers/ Google: How much energy does Google's AI use? We did the math https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/infrastructure/measuring-the-environmental-impact-of-ai-inference/ Judge orders Google to share search data as part of antitrust ruling --- but Google gets to keep Chrome https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/search-engines/judge-orders-google-to-share-search-data-as-part-of-antitrust-ruling-but-google-gets-to-keep-chrome?utm_source=chatgpt.com   Tags:Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, DeepSeek R1, AI Reasoning, Open Source AI, Free AI Tools, ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, OpenAI Operator, AI Agents, Beginner AI Guide, Research Tools, Document Analysis, AI Democratization, Context Windows, Deep Research, AI Writing, Browser Automation, Genealogy Research, AI Accessibility, Reasoning Models, AI Education

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little return from summer break to discuss the mixed reception of ChatGPT 5 and how OpenAI responded to user feedback. They explore Google's game-changing Nano Banana (Gemini Flash Image) model that revolutionizes selective image editing, reigniting debates about AI photo restoration in genealogy. This week's Tip of the Week emphasizes not letting perfect be the enemy of the good, especially when it comes to AI-powered citation. Mark shares his experience with 100 citations as part of the WikiTree Challenge. In RapidFire, they cover Apple's possible Gemini partnership, new AI study modes for back-to-school season, Anthropic's copyright settlement, and controversial changes to its privacy policy. They close with escalating skirmishes in the escalating AI browser wars. Timestamps:In the News: 05:14 ChatGPT 5 Launch Aftermath: Mixed Reception and Quick Fixes 17:15 Nano Banana: Google's Game-Changing Image Editing Model Tip of the Week: 32:38 Don't Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Good: Building Citation Prompts RapidFire: 43:27 Apple Explores Google Gemini Partnership for Siri 47:16 Back to School: AI Study Modes from ChatGPT and Gemini 53:00 Anthropic Settles Copyright Lawsuit with Authors 56:29 Anthropic Reverses Privacy Stance on Training Data 60:55 AI Browser Wars: Anthropic and Google Enter the Fray Resource LinksIntro to Family History AI by the Family History AI Show Academy https://tixoom.app/fhaishow Mass Intelligence by Ethan Mollick https://www.oneusefulthing.org/p/mass-intelligence Create and edit images with Gemini https://deepmind.google/models/gemini/image/ Google take 'giant leap' with launch of 'Nano Banana' https://www.uniladtech.com/news/ai/google-giant-leap-nano-banana-launch-image-editing-305898-20250828 Apple Explores Using Google Gemini AI to Power Revamped Siri https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-22/apple-explores-using-google-gemini-ai-to-power-revamped-siri Guided Learning in Gemini: From answers to understanding https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/guided-learning/ Introducing study mode https://openai.com/index/chatgpt-study-mode/ Anthropic Settles Copyright Lawsuit https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/anthropics-surprise-settlement-adds-new-wrinkle-ai-copyright-war-2025-08-27/ Anthropic Updates Data Policy https://www.anthropic.com/news/updates-to-our-consumer-terms New Opt-Out Policy Reverses Stance on Using Consumer Data for AI Training https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/28/anthropic-users-face-a-new-choice-opt-out-or-share-your-data-for-ai-training/ Anthropic launches a Claude AI agent that lives in Chrome https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/26/anthropic-launches-a-claude-ai-agent-that-lives-in-chrome/ Google is launching a Gemini integration in Chrome https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/20/google-is-launching-a-gemini-integration-in-chrome/ TagsArtificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, Technology, ChatGPT, OpenAI, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, Image Editing, Nano Banana, AI Photography, Citation Management, WikiTree, AI Study Modes, Copyright Law, Privacy Policy, Browser Extensions, AI Training Data, Photo Restoration, Apple Siri, Educational AI, Model Selection, AI Ethics, Chrome Integration

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore the groundbreaking release of ChatGPT-5, which arrived after over a year of anticipation. They discuss how this new model transforms the AI landscape with better reasoning, larger context windows, and dramatically reduced hallucinations. The hosts examine OpenAI's new Study and Learn Mode, which acts as a personal tutor rather than just providing answers, making it ideal for genealogists who want to deepen their understanding of their favourite topic. This week's Tip of the Week cautions beginners about challenging AI tasks like handwritten transcriptions and structured files, recommending they master the basics first. In RapidFire, they cover OpenAI's first open-source release since 2019, NotebookLM's video capabilities, and impressive AI company earnings reports. Timestamps:In the News: 00:55 ChatGPT-5 Has Arrived: Improved Features (mostly) for Genealogists 16:29 OpenAI's Study and Learn Mode: Your Personal Genealogy Tutor 23:40 Claude Releases Opus 4.1: Enhanced Reasoning and Writing Tip of the Week: 29:25 AI Tasks for Beginners to Be Cautious Of RapidFire: 40:16 OpenAI Releases First Open Source Model Since 2019 48:33 NotebookLM Upgrade Adds Video Support 53:34 AI Companies Report Record Earnings Resource LinksIntroduction to Family History AI https://tixoom.app/fhaishow/ OpenAI GPT-5 Model Card https://openai.com/index/gpt-5-system-card/ Introducing study mode https://openai.com/index/chatgpt-study-mode/ ChatGPT Study Mode - FAQ https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11780217-chatgpt-study-mode-faq Claude Opus 4.1 https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-opus-4-1 OpenAI announces two "gpt-oss" open AI models https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/08/openai-releases-its-first-open-source-models-since-2019/ Google's NotebookLM rolls out Video Overviews https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/29/googles-notebooklm-rolls-out-video-overviews/ Tech bubble going pop: AI pays the price for inflated expectations https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/07/the-guardian-view-on-a-tech-bubble-going-pop-ai-pays-the-price-for-inflated-expectations Is The AI Bubble About To Burst? https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2024/08/07/is-the-ai-bubble-about-to-burst/ Google loses appeal in antitrust battle with Fortnite maker https://masslawyersweekly.com/2025/08/06/google-play-monopoly-verdict-epic-games-win/ Department of Justice Prevails in Landmark Antitrust Case Against Google https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-prevails-landmark-antitrust-case-against-google TagsArtificial Intelligence, Technology, Genealogy, Family History, OpenAI, ChatGPT-5, Claude, Large Language Models, AI Learning Tools, Study Mode, Open Source AI, NotebookLM, Video Overviews, AI Reasoning, Context Windows, Hallucination Reduction, GEDCOM Files, Handwritten Transcription, Document Analysis, AI Earnings, Google Antitrust, Apache License, Local AI Processing, Privacy, AI Education, Tutoring Systems, Coding Capabilities, Multilingual Processing, AI Development, Family History Research, Genealogists, AI Tools, Machine Learning

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little deliver a special same-day episode covering the long-awaited release of ChatGPT-5, which launched today, August 7, 2025. They explore the most significant improvements in the upgrade for genealogists, including automated model selection that eliminates confusing settings for beginners, enhanced reasoning capabilities that reduce hallucinations by 45%, and big increase in the amount of information or documents that can be processed at once. Mark demonstrates ChatGPT-5's improved image analysis with cabinet card photos, revealing how the model now provides research suggestions automatically. This extra podcast also announces the launch of the Family History AI Show Academy, with Mark and Steve's first five-week course... "Introduction to Family History AI" beginning October 14th. Introduction to Family History AI with Mark Thompson and Steve Little https://tixoom.app/fhaishow/ Key Features Highlighted:Automated Model Selection Enhanced Reasoning Larger Context Window Improved Vision Analysis Better Document Grounding Resource Links:Introduction to Family History AI https://tixoom.app/fhaishow/ GPT-5 is here https://openai.com/gpt-5/ Introducing GPT-5 https://openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-5/ OpenAI launches new GPT-5 model for all ChatGPT users https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/07/openai-launches-gpt-5-model-for-all-chatgpt-users.html Tags:Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, OpenAI, ChatGPT-5, AI Tools, Emergency Podcast, Model Selection, Reasoning Models, Context Window, Image Analysis, Cabinet Cards, Handwritten Text Recognition, Document Processing, Hallucination Reduction, AI Education, Family History AI Show Academy, Research Automation, Vision Analysis, Agentic AI, Professional Genealogy

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore OpenAI's groundbreaking ChatGPT Agent, demonstrating how this autonomous tool can research, analyze, and perform complex tasks on your behalf. Next, they address important security concerns to consider in the new world of AI agents, introducing practical guidelines for protecting sensitive family data and avoiding prompt injection attacks. This week's Tip of the Week provides a back-to-basics guide on what AI is and its four core strengths: summarization, extraction, generation, and translation. In RapidFire, they discuss OpenAI's rumored office suite, Microsoft and Google's own efforts to integrate AI into their office suites, and recently announced AI infrastructure investments, including; Meta's Manhattan-sized data center and President Trump's new AI Action Plan. The hosts also announce their new Family History AI Show Academy, a five-week course beginning in October of 2025. See https://tixoom.app/fhaishow/ for more details. Timestamps:In the News: 05:20 ChatGPT Agent: Autonomous Research Assistant for Genealogists 22:49 Safe and Secure in the Age of AI Tip of the Week: 36:20 What is AI and What is it Good For? Back to Basics RapidFire: 50:57 OpenAI's Office Suite Rumors 53:56 Microsoft and Google Bring AI to Their Office Suites 60:17 Big AI Infrastructure: Manhattan-Sized Data Centers Resource Links:Introduction to Family History AI https://tixoom.app/fhaishow/ Do agents work in the browser? https://www.bensbites.com/p/do-agents-work-in-the-browser Introducing ChatGPT agent: bridging research and action https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-agent/ OpenAI's new ChatGPT Agent can control an entire computer and do tasks for you https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/709158/openai-new-release-chatgpt-agent-operator-deep-research OpenAI's New ChatGPT Agent Tries to Do It All https://www.wired.com/story/openai-chatgpt-agent-launch/ Agent demo post https://x.com/rowancheung/status/1945896543263080736 OpenAI Quietly Designed a Rival to Google Workspace, Microsoft Office https://www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-quietly-designed-rival-google-workspace-microsoft-office OpenAI Is Quietly Creating Tools to Take on Microsoft Office and Google Workspace https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/markets/stocks/MSFT/pressreleases/33074368/openai-is-quietly-creating-tools-to-take-on-microsoft-office-and-google-workspace-googl/ What's new in Microsoft 365 Copilot? https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/what%E2%80%99s-new-in-microsoft-365-copilot--june-2025/4427592 Google Workspace enables the future of AI-powered work for every business https://workspace.google.com/blog/product-announcements/empowering-businesses-with-AI Google Workspace Review: Will it Serve My Needs? https://www.emailtooltester.com/en/blog/google-workspace-review/ Tags:Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, AI Agents, ChatGPT Agent, OpenAI, Computer Use, AI Security, Prompt Injection, Database Analysis, RootsMagic, Cemetery Records, AI Office Suite, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Google Workspace, Data Centers, AI Infrastructure, Natural Language Processing, Large Language Models, Context Windows, AI Education, Family History AI Show Academy, AI Reasoning Models, Autonomous Research, AI Ethics

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore Perplexity's groundbreaking Comet browser, which brings AI directly to web pages and can autonomously navigate sites to collect genealogical data. They examine Grok 4's impressive benchmark performance while discussing its limitations for genealogical research and safety concerns. This week's Tip of the Week introduces "context engineering" - the art of providing maximum information to AI tools through examples, documents, and prior conversations for superior results. In RapidFire, they cover Google's Veo 3 photo-to-video tool, Silicon Valley's dramatic Windsurf acquisition battle, and OpenAI's new ChatGPT Agent that can control computers autonomously. Timestamps:In the News: 07:47 Perplexity's Comet Browser: AI-Enhanced Research and Web Surfing 20:32 Grok 4 Released: Benchmark Success, Real-World Challenges Tip of the Week: 27:53 Context Engineering: Maximizing AI Results with Rich Information RapidFire: 36:02  Google Veo 3: Transform Photos into Videos 44:19 Windsurf Acquisition Drama: AI Consolidation Begins 53:58 ChatGPT Agent: Autonomous Computer Control Arrives Resource LinksOfficial Comet Launch Announcement https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/introducing-comet Perplexity launches Comet, an AI-powered web browser https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/09/perplexity-launches-comet-an-ai-powered-web-browser/ Every: Vibe Check: Grok 4 Aced Its Exams. The Real World Is a Different Story https://every.to/vibe-check/vibe-check-grok-4-aced-its-exams-the-real-world-is-a-different-story LM Arena Leaderboard https://lmarena.ai/leaderboard TechCrunch: Google adds image-to-video generation capability to Veo 3 https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/10/google-adds-image-to-video-generation-capability-to-veo-3/ Windsurf's CEO goes to Google; OpenAI's acquisition falls apart https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/windsurfs-ceo-goes-to-google-openais-acquisition-falls-apart/ Every: Vibe Check: OpenAI Enters the Browser Wars With ChatGPT Agent https://every.to/vibe-check/vibe-check-openai-enters-the-browser-wars-with-chatgpt-agent TechCrunch: AWS is launching an AI agent marketplace next week with Anthropic as a partner https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/10/aws-is-launching-an-ai-agent-marketplace-next-week-with-anthropic-as-a-partner/ TagsArtificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, AI Browsers, Web Navigation, Perplexity Comet, Grok 4, ChatGPT Agent, Context Engineering, AI Tools, Agentic Browsers, Video Generation, Google Veo 3, Windsurf Acquisition