ChatGPT for Genealogists

From first prompts to advanced workflows

Meet Your New Research Assistant

ChatGPT for Genealogists is a practical, real-world guide to using generative AI responsibly and effectively in family history research. Written for genealogists, it takes you from your first prompts to advanced workflows used by serious researchers and professionals.

You will learn how to use ChatGPT to transcribe and translate historical documents, extract key details from common genealogical sources, analyze data (including GEDCOM files), date photographs, search websites more effectively, and even write Microsoft Office macros.

Just as importantly, the book is candid about the limits and risks of AI. You will learn why large language models sometimes invent facts, how to verify every claim, and how to use ChatGPT in ways that align with genealogical standards. Clear guidance is included on ethics, and appropriate handling of sensitive information. Two chapters address the unique needs of professional genealogists and genealogical societies.

Whether you are a hobbyist exploring your roots or a professional seeking a more efficient workflow, ChatGPT for Genealogists shows you how to use AI as a capable collaborator.

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Dedication
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Acknowledgments
Part I—Quick Start
Chapter 1: Quick Start
Chapter 2: Fundamentals of Prompting
Part II—Under the Hood
Chapter 3: How We Got Here
Chapter 4: The Anatomy of an LLM
Chapter 5: Cautions
Chapter 6: Advanced Prompting
Chapter 7: Advanced Features
Part III—Core Workflows
Chapter 8: Working with Text Documents
Chapter 9: Transcription
Chapter 10: Translation and Transliteration
Chapter 11: Reading Web Content
Chapter 12: Working with Genealogy Files
Chapter 13: AI as a Teacher
Chapter 14: Image Analysis and Interpretation
Chapter 15: Image Generation
Chapter 16: Image Modification
Chapter 17: Imagined Images
Chapter 18: Data Analysis
Chapter 19: DNA and Genetic Genealogy
Chapter 20: Genealogical Reasoning
Part IV—Professional and Society Use
Chapter 21: Professional Genealogists
Chapter 22: Genealogical Societies
Part V—Programming Assistant
Chapter 23: Code as Text
Chapter 24: Query Languages and Wildcards
Chapter 25: Date Conversion Macro
Chapter 26: Image Reviewer
Chapter 27: GEDCOM Parser
Chapter 28: Social Security Death Master File
Part VI—Ethics and Futures
Chapter 29: AI, Genealogy, and Ethics
Chapter 30: The Perfect AI for Genealogy: A Wish List
Glossary
Further Resources

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About the author

A very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me well suited to write a book like this.

Robert Cameron Weir is a genealogist, author, and educator based in New Hampshire. Active in the field for more than three decades, he specializes in New England family history and in the intersection of genealogy and technology, drawing on a 27-year career at IBM, where he advanced from software engineering into senior technical leadership. He serves as Vice President and Publications Director of the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists and is a member of both the Association of Professional Genealogists and the New England Chapter of APG. A frequent speaker at local and regional genealogical events and conferences, he is committed to helping others explore and understand their family history with clarity and rigor.