Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Another Artificial Intelligence Agent - GenSpark: I Asked "What is the future of genealogy and family history research?"

 I received an email from Eric at GenSpark today, and it is very interesting.  Here is the descriptive information about GenSpark in the email:

We’re excited to introduce the Genspark's Autopilot Agent, the world’s first asynchronous AI agent that acts like a highly effective human assistant. It handles complex research, cross-checking, data gathering, and other time-consuming tasks, allowing you to focus on your most important priorities.

Traditional search engines often make fact-finding a tedious task, requiring multiple rephrases and cross-checks. Genspark changes that: simply input your prompt, and our Autopilot Agent reframes it as a Task.

For example, check, "Every official James Bond actor has been in a Shakespeare adaptation." The Genspark Autopilot Agent then gets to work, researching and cross-checking multiple authoritative sources like IMDB, Wikipedia, media stories, and film reviews.

You all know that I love to check out technology and websites like this, and see if they will work for genealogy and family history. 

My first prompt for this generative agent was:  "What does the future hold for genealogy and family history research?"

The agent went to work and the message on the screen said "Task submitted and running. It will continue even if you close the page. A detailed report will be sent to your inbox upon completion." (I love that! - I don't have to copy/paste results into a document!).  

I couldn't wait for the email, so I asked the question on https://genspark.ai/ and received this answer in about 30 seconds:

What does the future hold for genealogy and family history research?

The future of genealogy and family history research is set to be transformed by several key technological advancements and evolving methodologies.

Key Technological Advancements

Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI, particularly Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPTs), is revolutionizing genealogical research by processing vast amounts of data, identifying patterns, and suggesting potential ancestral connections. AI can interpret historical documents and handwriting, enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of research24.

Cloud Computing: This technology enables real-time collaboration among genealogists worldwide, allowing them to share records and insights, thus improving the accuracy and richness of family trees1.

Genetic Analysis: DNA testing is becoming more accessible and affordable, providing deeper insights into ethnic backgrounds and familial connections. Future advancements may include reconstructing genomes of ancestors using DNA segments from descendants5.

Blockchain Technology: This is being explored to improve the security and privacy of genetic data, giving users greater control over their information11.

Changes in Data Accessibility and Privacy Concerns

Digital Records: The digitization of historical records has made genealogy more accessible, allowing researchers to access information online without visiting physical archives6.

Privacy Concerns: The use of DNA in genealogy raises ethical debates about privacy and consent, especially regarding law enforcement's access to genetic data. Balancing privacy with investigative needs is a critical issue20.

Potential Future Methodologies

Quantitative Analysis: Genealogy is increasingly adopting scientific methods to validate findings, applying statistical analyses to strengthen conclusions about familial relationships5.

Virtual Recreations: Future advancements may include virtual recreations of ancestral environments, providing immersive experiences that enhance understanding of family histories2.

Collaborative Research: The concept of a "genealogy cloud" is emerging, where researchers can work collectively on shared databases, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of global family histories19.

In summary, the future of genealogy is characterized by technological advancements that enhance efficiency, collaboration, and depth of analysis. These trends are making genealogy more accessible and enriching the experience of uncovering one’s heritage, while also raising important ethical considerations regarding data privacy.

The numbers at the end of some paragraphs refer to a source.  Unfortunately, they don't show up as links in my copy/paste above.  For instance, #19 is a 2009 article in Family Chronicle magazine by Lisa Alzo titled "The Future of Genealogy"(it's an interesting read from 15 years ago!)  #2 above is Coach Carole's blog post on "Exploring the Future of Genealogy" from early 2024 on Essential Genealogist.

Like most Artificial Intelligence tools, GenSpark relies on information gleaned from published  sources, and provides an organized and well written summary.  It does provide some related questions to ask after the answer, and provides several images and links to follow.  It did not provide any speculation about the future ahead - we need something called "Genealogy Crystal Ball" for that. 

I don't see a list of my previous queries on the page, so I will have to copy/paste questions and answers into a document to save them. 

Here is an article written by GenSpark on "The Transformative Role of AI and Machine Learning in Genealogy Research."  There is a superb graphic included which I won't copy here because I'm sure it is copyrighted.  Another article written by GenSpark is "Future trends in AI-driven genealogy tools."  

It appears that GenSpark is FREE to use at this time.  

I will continue to explore this AI tool and other AI tools because they are useful, helpful and fun.  

What genealogy-related questions have you asked GenSpark?  Do you have suggestions for questions?  Send me a link in Comments to this post, or an email.  

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