10 ChatGPT Prompts Every Genealogist Needs to Know | Findmypast

The video begins with a lively musical introduction, welcoming viewers to the 'Find My Past' classroom. The host expresses excitement for the day's session and introduces a special guest, Blaine Bettinger, who is warmly welcomed back to the stream. The host encourages viewers to share their location, work, and weather, and mentions that Ellie is also present in the comments. Blaine shares the pleasant weather forecast for central New York, while the host mentions looming thunderstorms in Colorado. The conversation transitions into discussing AI, specifically chat GPT, and the host reminds viewers of a previous video on the topic and invites questions and discussions in the comments.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of focusing on chat GPT due to the vastness of the AI field. They provide a disclaimer about the rapidly changing nature of AI and proceed to explain what chat GPT is: a large language model developed by Open AI. The speaker clarifies that while chat GPT can predict probable word strings, it does not guarantee factual correctness. They stress the need to avoid relying on chat GPT for analytical results and highlight that it is more of a 'doer' than a 'thinker,' emphasizing the importance of not expecting fact-based outcomes from the tool.

The speaker shares their experience with using chat GPT for various tasks and introduces the concept of 'prompts' as a method to direct AI to perform specific functions. They discuss the structure of a good prompt, which can include a role, task, format, and limitations. The speaker provides examples of how to refine prompts for better outcomes, such as drafting an email or extracting information from a text. They also mention the importance of not including personal or confidential information in prompts due to privacy concerns.

The speaker illustrates how to use chat GPT to draft an email to a second cousin asking them to take a genetic genealogy test. They explain how to refine the prompt by adding limitations and additional instructions to tailor the output to their needs. The speaker also demonstrates using chat GPT to extract names and relationships from an obituary, emphasizing the importance of providing clear instructions to the AI to achieve the desired result.

The speaker discusses the use of chat GPT to generate narratives and personal statements based on provided information, such as an obituary. They highlight the controversy surrounding the use of AI for narrative creation in genealogy and stress the importance of using the output as a starting point rather than a final product. The speaker also covers the use of prompts to help brainstorm ideas, such as catchy titles for presentations, and to provide more information on historical contexts.

The speaker shares their personal use of chat GPT for quick calculations, finding it more convenient than using a calculator app. They also discuss using chat GPT for translations, emphasizing the need for fidelity in translation by specifying the perspective of a native speaker. Additionally, the speaker talks about using chat GPT as a tool to help remember words or idioms, suggesting that interacting with the AI can help retrieve information more effectively than traditional methods.

The speaker explores using chat GPT to learn about historical events, such as the formation of the Erie Canal, by asking the AI to explain concepts at different educational levels. They also discuss the potential of AI for transcribing texts, summarizing documents, and abstracting wills, emphasizing the need to verify the AI's output for accuracy. The speaker encourages viewers to experiment with chat GPT and to use it as a tool to save time on tasks that can be automated.

The host thanks the speaker for the informative session, highlighting the usefulness of AI tools in genealogy research. They discuss the importance of politeness in prompts, the potential for AI to understand different languages, and the future possibilities of AI interpreting handwritten texts. The host addresses questions from the audience about the speed of AI responses, the ability to transcribe cursive writing, and the availability of session materials. The speaker encourages experimentation with AI tools and leaves the audience with the analogy of not using a car to blend a smoothie, emphasizing the importance of using the right tool for the job.