A.I. and DNA Workshop for Family Historians
The workshop will be held on Friday, 30th October in the Century Hall at The Link Centre, Station Road, Ashbourne.
This will be very much a "hands-on" workshop, where you will use your own laptop or tablet to implement and gain skills in these two areas and apply them to your family tree research.
Tickets for the event will cost £10 and due to the practical nature of the workshop, numbers will need to be limited and so the event may sell out.
DNA Workshop
Geoff Tideswell
When you take an Ancestry DNA test, on average, you will be matched to 10,000 to 50,000 individuals. An overwhelming number - so how do you start to make sense of them?
This workshop will work through the Ancestry DNA Dot system which will help you to group your thousands of DNA Matches into understandable and manageable groups giving you a clear indication where your connection to them might lie.
Pre Workshop Requirements
a) you have taken an Ancestry DNA Test and have received the results
b) you have made established a link between yourself and at least 3 of your matches with your common ancestors being great grandparents or more distant relatives
A.I. Workshop
Mike Pomerantz
This workshop is for family historians seeking a better understanding of how free A.I. apps can improve one’s family history research. Whether you are new to A.I. or have some experience with it, the workshop will help you develop your skills in forming questions (prompts) to ask A.I. to help you with your family history research.
We will be using Claude.ai which could be a new experience for most attenders. However, the skills learnt in the workshop will be equally valid whichever A.I. platform you use (ChatGPT, Gemini, Co-pilot etc)
It will be a “hands-on” training session that is evidence-based. It is equally appropriate for those unfamiliar with AI and for those who have experienced both positive and negative use of AI.
Within the workshop we will process a YouTube video (see below) and hear how participants react to helpful suggestions about improving AI prompts. We will encourage members to share both positive and problematic experiences as well as offering plausible explanations as to why some receive unexpected or unwelcome outcomes.
While some genealogy prompts and their positive outcomes could be demonstrated, the bulk our time together will focus on prompts drafted by attenders. The group will be invited to share suggestions as to how members’ prompts could be improved. Then, we will test some of these and discuss what is returned. Often the AI feedback leads to an online conversation rather than a short “answer.”
Pre Workshop Requirements
a) you have installed the Claude.AI app onto your device or can access the Claude.AI website (if you are unsure about this we can help you during lunch time)
b) you have watched the this YouTube Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbRXzd2SmNM
Programme
09:30-10:00 - Arrival, Refreshments and IT Setup
10:00-12:00 - DNA - Geoff Tideswell (Leek U3A)
12:00-13:00 - Lunch (Bring Your Own Lunch)
13:00-15:00 - AI - Mike Pomerantz (Wirksworth U3A)
15:00-15:10 - Q&A and Conclusion
15:10-16:00 - Own time to practice skills, ask questions etc
Refreshments & Lunch
Please bring your own packed lunch to the workshop. We will provide free tea, coffee and a cordial that will be available throughout the day to help yourself to. The room has an attached kitchen facility that we will have access to.