Have you ever wondered what happens when ai tries to make a genealogy podcast? 🤖📜 in this episode of the armchair genealogy podcast, the Genealogy Guy puts it to the test! The AI was fed beginner guides to genealogy and produced a full 25-minute show.
Together we dive into the basics—starting with your own family stories, then moving through census records, certificates, and online tools like familysearch and Ancestry. Plus, we chat about dna testing, the value of keeping a research log, and why patience is your best friend in family history.
Curious to hear how well ai handled the challenge (and what it missed)? tune in—you might pick up a few tips for your own research along the way! 🎙️✨
Ruth Wilmore, Events and Education Manager at the Society of Genealogists (SOG), shares her genealogy journey, with the Genealogy Guy, sparked by a childhood book and a 200-year-old mourning ring. And discusses the great work going on at Society of Genealogists.
In this episode on armchair genealogy, Dave Annal from Lifelines Research shares why real research still matters. We talk dodgy digital records, the dangers of ai in history, and how reconstructing a family properly can reveal the truth behind the names.
👂perfect for beginners & seasoned researchers alike — with tips, stories, and a few rants about sloppy shortcuts!
🎧 Listen now & get your family tree even better.
Jon Marie Pearson chats with the Genealogy Guy about using social media in genealogy research. She highlights the importance of virtual communities, sharing personal stories of finding her biological half-brother on Facebook. Jon Marie emphasises the need for genealogists to use keywords in their profiles and actively engage on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
The Genealogy guy chats with Charlie Greene, co-founder of Remento, cahts about the inspiration that led to the platform, which helps families capture and preserve stories and memories. Charlie shares his personal experience of digitising home videos to keep his father's memory alive and the emotional impact of recording his mother's stories during her battle with cancer. Remento simplifies the process of documenting family stories, using AI to convert recordings into polished narratives, and offers a customizable book format. The platform also integrates with Legacy Box for digitising old photos. Charlie emphasises the importance of capturing family stories now for future generations.
Mark Bayley from TheGenealogist.co.uk discusses updates to their Map Explorer section, highlighting the expansion of the Lloyd George Domesday records to include Bedfordshire, Dorset, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Northamptonshire, Surrey, and Wiltshire, with more counties planned for 2026. He explained the historical context of these records, created by David Lloyd George in 1910 for taxation purposes. He also mentions the addition of military records, including the War Office 164 records, and the development of a new advanced search interface with phonetic filtering and advanced keywords. Also offers an exclusive special offer for Armchair Genealogy podcast listeners, which includes a 40% lifetime discount on a Diamond subscription and a year's free subscription to "Discover Your Ancestors "online magazine.
In this episode of Armchair Genealogy, the Genealogy Guy dives into the power of family history shows and why sharpening your research skills is a game-changer. Special guest Dr. Karen Cummings from Pharos Tutors shares her journey from pharmaceutics to genealogy education—proving it’s never too late to follow your passion!
Discover how Pharos Tutors’ expert-led courses, interactive learning, and AGRA-recognized certificates can transform your research. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced genealogist, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!
🎧 Listen now & subscribe: #Genealogy #FamilyHistory #PharosTutors #Podcast
The Genealogy Guy discusses the impact of AI on genealogy with Steve Little and Mark Thompson from the Family History AI Show. Mark, a retired technologist, and Steve, a language and technology enthusiast, highlight AI's rapid evolution, particularly with ChatGPT. They emphasize the importance of scepticism and experimentation, noting that AI's accuracy depends on available information. They predict AI will integrate into everyday tools, enhancing efficiency. Upcoming developments include "agents" for comprehensive genetic research. The hosts encourage genealogists to explore AI responsibly and actively engage with new technologies. They also mention attending Roots tech at the start of March (https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/) and AI workshops at the Conference for the Institute for Genetic Genealogy at the end of March in San Diego (https://i4gg.org/2025-i4gg/)
Discover the fascinating story behind dna painter with Jonny Perl, a web developer and genealogist who turned his own dna testing experience into an invaluable tool for family history enthusiasts. In this episode,Jonny shares how dna painter helps users visualize family trees, interpret dna matches, and uncover relationships through powerful features like chromosome mapping, the shared cm project, and the "what are the odds" tool. He also discusses the latest updates, including ancestral trees and the brick walls report, and teases future AI enhancements. plus, learn how dna painter prioritizes privacy—no dna uploads required! tune in now for an inspiring deep dive into the future of genetic genealogy!
Donna Rutherford chats with the Genealogy Guy on Armchair Genealogy Podcast about the basics of genealogy and DNA, emphasizing the importance of understanding DNA matches and ethnicity estimates. She explains that DNA tests provide ethnicity estimates based on reference panels and that different companies use varying algorithms. Rutherford advises uploading DNA results to multiple databases to expand match pools. She clarifies that DNA matches are relatives who share DNA and explains the concept of Centimorgans, which indicate genetic closeness. Rutherford also touches on the challenges of working with private trees and the use of "quick and dirty" research trees to avoid errors. She encourages using social media and sleuthing techniques to uncover connections.
What secrets might your dna hold? Laura House, a genetic genealogist at Ancestry, joins Genealogy Guy on armchair genealogy. In this insightful conversation, Laura reveals the unexpected twists and turns that can unfold when using genealogy DNA tests. She urges listeners to be aware of the potential surprises that may arise, such as finding out about non-biological parents or previously unknown half-siblings. Laura stresses that this knowledge can provide much-needed closure and answers for those seeking to uncover their biological heritage. Don't miss out on the chance to hear from one of the world's foremost experts on genetic genealogy.
Dr. Nicholas Dixon emphasises the collaborative nature of the genealogy community and the willingness of professionals to help each other. He highlights the unique angle of bringing academic history to genealogy, which is not common in the academic world.
He also highlights the role of local family history societies in sharing knowledge and resources.
Helen Forster, a director at HTF Legal Limited, discusses with the Genealogy Guy the importance of digital legacy planning. She highlighted that only 27% of people know what will happen to their digital assets upon death, and only 9% have a clear plan. Digital assets include monetary investments and sentimental items like photos. She emphasized the need for digital executors to manage these assets, noting that 1 in 4 estates are contested. Forster also discussed the challenges of accessing digital assets post-death, such as needing passwords or thumbprints. She advised creating digital backups and shared folders to ensure family access to important data.
Genealogy Guy and Dominic Hendry from estateresearch.co.uk discuss the intersections of genealogy and legal support services, including probate genealogists, tracing services, and DNA evidence. They emphasise the importance of understanding legal issues in genealogy and accurate inheritance planning to avoid potential disputes. Genealogy Guy highlights the growing impact of DNA evidence and online genealogy on probate law, while Dominic stresses the significance of including accurate relationships and clear instructions in a will. They also discuss the difficulties and strategies for conducting genealogy research, including accessing publicly available records and double-checking information.
Cindy Ingle talks about her creation and maintenance of Cyndislist.com, a comprehensive categorised list of genealogical resources on the internet. The Genealogy Guy and Cyndi emphasise the importance of human curation in genealogical research, Cyndi also highlights the value of delving into the lives of our ancestors beyond basic facts. They also discuss various methodologies and resources for preserving family history and genealogy, including local newspapers, oral histories, and interviews. Cyndi Ingle is the creator and innovator behind the award-winning and globally recognized CyndisList.com a genealogist for more than 44 years of expertise in using technology for genealogy.
The congenial Richard Miller explains to the Genealogy Guy about the great benefits of the GoldieMay.com app that plugs into Chrome. A genealogy research tool that helps organise and streamline the research process. They highlight the importance of organisation in genealogy research and how Goldie May can help alleviate this issue. Richard and Mell also discuss the importance of staying organised and focused in genealogy research, using tools to create objective-based research plans, link multiple projects, and save screenshots for easy reference. They emphasize the need for effective data management, including storing research log data in a CSV file and exporting it as a safety measure. Richard also offers a 20% discount off the annual or monthly subscription for armchair Genealogy Podcast listeners
Brad Argent and The Genealogy Guy explore the connection between genealogy and DNA research in shaping one's identity. They highlighted the significance of understanding one's ancestry and genetic makeup to gain a sense of identity and discuss the transformative nature of DNA research in providing a tangible connection to the past and one's ancestors. They also emphasized the importance of capturing family history through audio recordings, conducting thorough historical research and verification, and leveraging local newspapers in genealogical research.
In this episode, the Genealogy Guy has chats with the jolly Helen Tovey - Editor of Family Tree Magazine UK which is Britain's longest-running family history magazine providing expert advice it has been helping thousands of family historians discover and explore their family history since 1984.
The Genealogy Guy chats with the perceptive Nicholas David Barrett, genealogist and consultant for BBC's "Who Do You Think You Are?", and discusses the show's origins and how it combines social history and genealogy. He gives his views on why he thinks this show has been so successful and had worldwide recognition as a TV format.
