The OpenAI ChatGPT5 tool is available now, and I want to run a typical benchmark query to it about a person of genealogical interest. I last asked a similar query in Ask AI: "What Can You Tell Me About the Life and Family of Gregory Stone (1592-1672)?" in September 2024, which got a decent answer from Perplexity. The LLMs (e.g., ChatGPT4, Claude, Gemini, we did not have Grok yet) at that time could not do anything close to Perplexity.
What can ChatGPT5 do using free and paid subscriptions? I asked Google:
1) The Google AI-generated description of ChatGPT5 is:
2) One of the very first prompts that a genealogist new to AI tries is "tell me about this person." I did, you probably did too. When I first did it two years ago, the AI tools did not access the Internet and were pre-trained (the 'P' in GPT) on limited resources. The AI tools have changed. Let's see what ChatGPT5 can do now.GPT-5 capabilities: Free and paid tiersOpenAI's latest large language model, GPT-5, significantly advances previous models by offering a unified system with enhanced reasoning, improved coding abilities, and multimodal capabilities like advanced voice and image understanding. GPT-5 boasts lower hallucination rates compared to earlier versions, making its responses more reliable.Here's a breakdown of its availability and features across free and paid plans:Free plan
- Basic access to GPT-5: Users can interact with the chatbot, including voice mode and web browsing.
- Usage limits: There are restrictions on the frequency and complexity of usage, particularly during peak times.
- Automatic model switching: Upon reaching the usage limit, the system automatically switches to the less powerful GPT-5 Mini.
- One "Thinking" message per day: This allows users to experience the model's deeper reasoning mode for more complex queries.
Paid plansChatGPT Plus (USD 20/month)
- Higher usage limits: Provides significantly greater interaction volume compared to the free tier.
- Enhanced Voice Mode: Offers advanced voice features and greater access to voice interactions.
- Expanded memory: Allows the AI to remember user preferences and past interactions for more personalized conversations.
- Access to Sora video previews: Provides limited access to previews of OpenAI's video generation tool.
- Manual model selection: Users can manually choose to use the standard GPT-5 or the GPT-5 "Thinking" model.
ChatGPT Pro (USD 200/month)
- Unlimited access to GPT-5 and GPT-5 Pro: This tier offers the most advanced and powerful version of the model, specifically designed for peak performance and complex tasks.
- Extended computational support: Provides greater processing power for challenging queries and tasks.
- Early access to experimental features: Users get early access to new functionalities and advancements.
- High-volume file processing: Supports handling and analyzing large files.
- Custom GPTs and enhanced agent interactivity: Allows for the creation of custom AI assistants and more robust interaction with GPT-5's agentic capabilities.
- Gmail and Google Calendar integration (initial rollout for Pro users): This feature enables GPT-5 to assist with scheduling, reminders, and email tasks.
2) Here is the Prompt I used for the free ChatGPT5: "Please tell me about the life of Henrietta Hollwegs (1881-1978) - who were her parents, siblings, spouses and children and their birth to death years? What were her residences, occupations, and activities?"
The initial free ChatGPT5 response was (unedited):
Thanks — I can dig into this, but quick update on what I’ve already found and a couple quick questions before I keep going.
What I found so far
I located a FamilySearch profile for “Henrietta Hollwegs Schaffner Sheppard (1881–1978)”, which suggests she used the surnames Hollwegs → Schaffner → Sheppard during her life (marriage(s)). The FamilySearch page is behind a sign-in so I can’t see every detail without expanding records there. FamilySearch
Why I’m asking before I continue
“Hollwegs” is an uncommon spelling and may appear in records under variants: Hollweg, Hollweg(s), Holweg, Holwegs, Helweg, etc. Searching only the exact spelling can miss records.
I didn’t find a clear public obituary or cemetery record in the first pass (search results were noisy), so I want to be sure I follow the right trail and don’t miss alternate names or locations.
Could you tell me any of the following (any one helps a lot)?
Known places associated with Henrietta (city/state or country where she was born, married, lived, or died).
Any alternative surname you’ve seen (for example Schaffner or Sheppard — I saw those on FamilySearch).
Any children/spouses you already know (even a first name or year).
Whether you want me to search subscription databases (Ancestry, newspapers.com) — I can still search many free sources, but some digitized census/obits are behind paywalls.
If you don’t have those, I’ll proceed anyway and:
Search variant spellings in census records, Social Security Death Index, newspaper obituaries, Find a Grave, state vital records, and city directories.
Pull together a timeline: parents, siblings, marriages, children (birth–death years), residences, occupations and activities, and cite the 4–6 most important sources I find.
Which do you prefer — I’ll continue with broad searching now, or wait for any extra details you can share?
3) My second prompt in response was: "Born and died in California, married to a Schaffner, no known children but there may be children, search only free sources"
The ChatGPT5 response was:
Nice — I searched only free, public sources and pulled together what I could confirm (and where the trail gets fuzzy). Below is a short, sourced summary and next-step suggestions. I kept each strong claim tied to the FREE sources I found.
Quick summary (what I can say with reasonable confidence)
Name / life dates: Henrietta (H.) Hollwegs — born 5 Jan 1881 (California); died 9 Nov 1978. This exact birth/death pairing and the alternate surnames Schaffner and Sheppard appear on a FamilySearch person summary. FamilySearch
Married names: FamilySearch lists her with the sequence Hollwegs → Schaffner → Sheppard, i.e. married at least once to a Schaffner and later (or additionally) to a Sheppard. The FamilySearch profile is the main free index that summarizes those name changes. FamilySearch
Possible child: a handful of free genealogical indexes and family trees link a Herman H. (or Herman Stanley / Herman S.) Schaffner (born 19 Aug 1910, San Francisco, CA) to a mother named Henrietta Hollwegs. Examples: an Ancestry snippet (index) and free index entries (AncientFaces, family-genealogy PDFs) show a Herman Schaffner born 1910 in San Francisco and list his mother as Henrietta Hollwegs. (Ancestry itself is paywalled for full records but the free indices and derivative pages are available.) AncestryAncientFaces
Residences & activity (what free sources show / imply)
San Francisco area (early 1900s): the Schaffner households shown in the 1910 San Francisco census (free blog copy of the image / extraction) indicate a Schaffner family living at 1134 Castro St., San Francisco (Herman Schaffner head, with sons Paul and Frederick present). That census entry documents Schaffner households in that neighborhood at that time; it’s consistent with a Schaffner–Hollwegs connection in San Francisco around 1910 but does not by itself prove Henrietta’s presence at that address. geneamusings.com
General statement: multiple free family-tree / genealogy compilations (Wik iTree, Schaffner family PDF) include Henrietta (Hollwegs) in Schaffner descendant lists — these suggest California residency across her life but are derivative compilations rather than primary records. WikiTreebigschaffnerfamily.com
What I couldn’t reliably confirm from the free sources
Definitive spouse full names and marriage dates (who exactly “the Schaffner” she married was — first name, marriage year) — FamilySearch indicates a marriage to a Schaffner but the free public summary does not show the marriage certificate or a clear marriage index entry I could access without login/paywalled records. FamilySearch
Complete, sourced list of children (if any) with birth–death years. The only reasonably consistent hint in free sources is the 1910–1911-era Schaffner children (and the Herman Schaffner 1910 birth index entries that list a mother “Henrietta Hollwegs”), but I did not find a free scanned birth certificate or unambiguous census row that names Henrietta as mother of each candidate child. AncientFacesgeneamusings.com
Occupations / activities for Henrietta herself. I did not find a city-directory listing, obituary text, or newspaper article (free) that lists her occupation or civic activities. The family compilations do not supply occupations.
Key sources I used (free)
FamilySearch person summary for Henrietta Hollwegs Schaffner Sheppard (1881–1978) — birth/death and married-name summary. FamilySearch
Genea-Musings blog post showing the 1910 San Francisco census extract for the Schaffner household (address 1134 Castro St.) — useful for Schaffner family context in SF. geneamusings.com
AncientFaces / other free genealogy pages listing Herman H. Schaffner (b. 19 Aug 1910, San Francisco; d. 24 Oct 1996) with mother “Henrietta Hollwegs.” AncientFacesAncestry
Schaffner family genealogy PDF / compiled tree available free on the web (derivative compilation showing Henrietta in Schaffner descendant lists). bigschaffnerfamily.com
WikiTree Schaffner pages that include related family nodes (derivative user-contributed trees). WikiTree
How confident I am
High confidence: Basic name variants, life span (1881–1978) and that she used the surnames Schaffner and Sheppard at some point (FamilySearch summary). FamilySearch
Medium confidence: A mother–child link between Henrietta Hollwegs and Herman H. Schaffner (b.1910 San Francisco) — multiple free trees/indexes show that, but I did not locate a primary vital record (free scanned birth certificate or unambiguous census line naming Henrietta as mother) in the sources I checked. AncientFacesAncestry
Low / unconfirmed: full list of spouses (first names/dates), any additional children, occupations, and a detailed residence timeline.
Next steps I can do (free-only)
If you want me to keep going, I can (using only free sources):
Search the California Birth Index (free transcription sites) for children born in CA to a mother surname Hollwegs — that can confirm births and mother's name exactly (and give child full name & birth year).
Search the California Death Index / SSDI for Henrietta and likely Schaffner/Sheppard matches (will give last residence and death place).
Search California Digital Newspaper Collection (CDNC) and local newspapers for an obituary (1978) that would list spouse/children — obits are often the best free source for family details.
Search Find a Grave / BillionGraves for burial location and any linked obituaries or memorial notes (many entries are free).
Pull the 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940 US census rows (free images/archives where available) for Schaffner households in San Francisco & surrounding counties and look for Henrietta / Hollwegs. (I already checked a 1910 hit contextually; I can search other years more thoroughly.)
Would you like me to continue and run those free-source searches next (CBI, CDNC, SSDI, Find a Grave, and full census lookups)? If yes, I’ll proceed and compile a focused timeline (parents → siblings → marriages → children → residences → occupations) with direct free-source citations and any scanned images I can link to.
4) My third prompt in response was: "Yes, please, run the free-source searches and compile a focused timeline for the Henrietta who married Schaffner"
The ChatGPT5 response was:
5) My next prompt was: "Please search the free CDNC site for the possible records"
The free ChatGPT5 response was:
I searched the California Digital Newspaper Collection (CDNC) for mentions of Henrietta Hollwegs, Henrietta Schaffner, or related terms—but unfortunately, I didn't find any relevant newspaper references (such as marriage announcements or obituaries) tied to her in the freely accessible archive.
Some context on the CDNC itself:
The CDNC is a substantial free resource for historical California newspapers, hosting content mostly through the early to mid-20th century cdnc.ucr.eduWikipedia.
However, it’s currently facing instability and disruption. Many users report that while search functionality may still work, the actual newspaper page images are often inaccessible or not rendering correctly Coachella Valley Independent+1.
This technical unreliability has limited the ability to retrieve or confirm historic notices like marriage or obituary records during this search.
Summary of CDNC Search Findings
Search Term Result "Henrietta Hollwegs" No matches found in searchable archives "Henrietta Schaffner" No matches found General CDNC access status The site is known to be functioning inconsistently, especially regarding image access and downloads What to Do Next — Free Alternatives
Since CDNC didn't yield usable results, here are other free options I can pursue:
Use Find a Grave or BillionGraves to check for a memorial entry for Henrietta Hollwegs (or Schaffner/Sheppard), possibly containing an obituary, burial location, spouse, or children details.
Access census records (1900–1940) via FamilySearch or NARA to find the family household, which may list Henrietta, her spouse, children, and occupation.
Search the San Francisco Genealogy site for public death certificates or index entries for Henrietta's 1978 death—they can contain valuable family information, including spouse and child names.
Inspect the California Death Index (public transcription sources) for Henrietta Hollwegs or Schaffner, 1978, to gather location and possibly parent's names.
Try other local newspaper collections such as the “San Francisco Call” or “Organized Labor” (if available in other digital archives) for marriage or obituaries outside of CDNC.
Would you like me to move forward with any of these? My top recommendation is grabbing census records (for family details) and then a death record or Find a Grave entry to get a clearer picture of her later life and next-of-kin information.
6) That's enough for now. If I was a beginning researcher, I would be ecstatic to have the above information for essentially ten minutes of work by me and the AI tool (I identified someone I want to know about, answered some questions, watched ChatGPT5 think, and saw the results for a person that I roughly described in the initial prompt). If I only had, say, an obituary in a collection of papers, or a photograph of "Aunt Henrietta," or some other paper or record, but I didn't know her maiden name and had few dates and events, it would be more difficult to get results like the above.
I like that ChatGPT5 starts out by asking questions for more detail, and then providing a response with confidence levels. The more known information a user gives ChatGPT5, the better the response is. Only when I wanted more information about the Henrietta who married Schaffner did it focus the search. It told me what it found in free searches and gave me a source to review. It also gave me suggestions for further research. All of that is good.
7) The suggested records and their images, and information (about parents, siblings, spouses, and children) from the recommended free sites can be found by clicking on the links provided by ChatGPT5. However, ChatGPT5 did not do or suggest doing a "reasonably exhaustive search" in the freely available resources. There are many freely available online resources that it did not tap into or suggest (e.g., WikiTree, FamilyTreeNow, Google Books, Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library, FamilySearch Catalog, FamilySearch Full-Text Search, etc.). It did suggest searching on subscription record and newspaper sites if possible.
8) My overall conclusion about this specific task ("research a specific person with known birth and death years") and then additional information (focusing on a specific person and spouse) is that the answer provided information very useful for a beginning genealogist, including a list of resources to find on free and subscription websites. However, an experienced genealogist would have done most of the suggested tasks already.
9) Free ChatGPT5 is a lot better at this particular task than any previous ChatGPT and almost all other free AI tools at this time. The exception is the free Perplexity.ai AI tool which searched more extensive genealogical records (WikiTree, MyHeritage, family websites, blogs, etc.) and provided more deep thinking in three minutes.
Would the paid ChatGPT5 do a better job? Perhaps, although I doubt that it can search an online database using a set of search fields at this time (e.g., FamilySearch or Google Books).
10) A bigger question is : "How would ChatGPT5 do with a historical person who is not in a free online family tree and has nothing written about them online. I will work on that next - perhaps taking someone randomly from the 1950 U.S. census who is not related or connected to me, and doesn't have a FamilySearch Family Tree entry (there are billions of historical persons like that).
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Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.
Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver
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