Module 1 — AI as a Research Assistant: What It Can and Cannot Do

Understand the capabilities and limits of AI tools in genealogy, how to configure Gemini or Claude for research, and how to treat AI output as a draft rather than evidence.

Beginner

Part of the AI Tools for Research and Organization course.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, you will:

Understand what AI tools like Gemini and Claude can and cannot do in genealogical research
Know how to configure either tool for genealogy work before your first prompt
Recognize why AI output must always be verified against original sources
Understand how the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) applies when AI is involved

What AI Is – and What It Is Not

AI tools like Gemini and Claude are large language models. They generate text based on patterns in the data they were trained on. They are not connected to genealogy databases. They cannot search FamilySearch, access Ancestry, or retrieve any record from any archive.

What they can do:

Read and summarize text you paste into the conversation
Translate Spanish, Latin, German, and other languages
Extract structured data (names, dates, places) from transcriptions you provide
Suggest research strategies and record types based on what you describe
Draft narrative text from facts you supply
Format citations following Evidence Explained style

What they cannot do:

Search any genealogical database on your behalf
Confirm that a record exists
Verify facts independently
Replace your judgment about source quality, informant reliability, or conflicting evidence

The single most important rule: AI output is always a draft. It is never evidence. Every name, date, place, and relationship the AI produces must be verified against an original source before you rely on it.

AI and the Genealogical Proof Standard

The Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) requires five elements for a sound genealogical conclusion: reasonably exhaustive research, complete citations, thorough analysis, resolution of conflicting evidence, and a coherent written conclusion.

AI cannot fulfill any of these elements for you. Here is where AI can assist and where you must take over:

GPS Element	AI Can Help With	You Must Do
Reasonably exhaustive research	Suggest record types and repositories to search	Actually search the records
Complete citations	Format citation elements you provide	Identify and record the source information
Thorough analysis	Organize information from records you transcribe	Evaluate source type, information quality, and evidence value
Resolve conflicts	Summarize two conflicting records side by side	Weigh which source is more reliable and why
Written conclusion	Draft narrative text from facts you supply	Verify every fact and reach a reasoned conclusion

GPS Checkpoint

Who evaluated the sources in this module?

You did. The AI only saw text you provided. It has no access to the original records, no ability to examine the document for alterations or damage, and no knowledge of the informant’s relationship to the events recorded.

Every classification – source type (original, derivative, or authored), information quality (primary, secondary, or indeterminate), and evidence value (direct, indirect, or negative) – requires your judgment, not the AI’s.

Choosing Your Tool: Gemini vs. Claude

Both Gemini and Claude are free at the basic level and work well for genealogy. Here is a practical comparison for research tasks:

Task	Gemini	Claude
Summarizing a document you paste	Very good	Very good
Translating Spanish church records	Very good	Very good
Following a long, detailed prompt	Good	Excellent
Extracting structured data into a table	Good	Excellent
Drafting narrative text	Good	Very good
Formatting Evidence Explained citations	Good	Very good

Both tools improve significantly when you tell them who you are and what you need. Neither tool requires a paid subscription for the tasks in this course.

Setting Up Your Genealogist Profile

Before you start any research session, paste a brief profile at the start of the conversation. This tells the AI how to calibrate its responses.

Profile template:

I am a genealogist researching families in Puerto Rico from approximately [time period] to the present. I follow the Genealogical Proof Standard. Please be precise. Identify names, dates, places, and relationships exactly as they appear in the documents I provide. Flag any uncertain readings. Do not add information I have not provided. Format any citations in Evidence Explained style.

You can save this in Claude’s Custom Instructions or Gemini’s Gems (Gemini Advanced) so it loads automatically at the start of every conversation.

Privacy: Four Rules Before You Start

Never upload documents containing Social Security Numbers, full addresses, or medical records
Never share information about living people without their explicit consent
Never paste raw DNA data or match lists into any AI tool
Never trust AI output without verification against an original source

For Gemini: Go to Gemini Apps Activity in your Google account settings and turn it OFF to prevent your conversations from being used for training.

For Claude: Go to Settings > Privacy. Free-tier conversations are not used for training by default.

What Good AI Use Looks Like: A Before and After

Before (vague, risky):

“Tell me about the Rivera family from Utuado.”

This prompt will produce invented or generic information. The AI has no data about your specific family, so it will generate plausible-sounding but unverifiable text.

After (specific, source-grounded):

“I am going to paste the transcription of an 1895 baptismal record from Utuado. Please identify each person named, their relationship, and any dates or places mentioned. Flag any words you are uncertain about. Do not add information that is not in the text.”

[Paste transcription here]

This prompt gives the AI something real to work with and clear instructions about what not to do.

What’s Next

In Module 2 – Record Matching: Solving Common-Name Problems, you will learn how to use AI to compare two records and assess whether they belong to the same person – including how to handle the repeated names and surname variations common in Puerto Rican genealogy.

← Back to Course Overview · Module 2 →

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