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All-Day Hands-on Workshop

Exploring AI for Genealogy: A Hands-on Experience

Featuring Jim Ross, StLGS co-webmaster

Saturday, 27 September 2025

9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

St. Louis Genealogical Society Office

4 Sunnen Drive, Suite 140

St. Louis, Missouri 63143

Artificial Intelligence is changing how we do genealogy—and you don’t need to be tech-savvy to take advantage of it.

Join us for a friendly, beginner-focused hands-on workshop where we’ll explore how tools like ChatGPT can enhance your genealogical research. Through short lectures, live demonstrations, and guided hands-on activities, you’ll learn practical ways to use AI in your own family history projects.

 

This workshop will show you how to use AI to:

    • Generate research questions and timelines
    • Analyze old family documents—typed or handwritten
    • Translate foreign-language records
    • Create bios, case studies, and research summaries
    • Analyze and interpret old family photographs

How it works:
Each topic includes a brief intro, live demonstration, and time for you to try it with help nearby. You’ll finish the day with a longer personal project based on your own records, with instructors available to coach you through it.

 

Is This Workshop Right for You?

To ensure everyone gets the most from this hands-on AI for Genealogy Workshop, we ask that all participants meet a few minimum technical and preparation requirements. This allows us to dive right into exciting and meaningful genealogical tasks—without getting bogged down in basic tech issues.

 

We kindly ask that participants be comfortable with the following:

Minimum Computer Skills

  • Copy and paste text between windows or apps
  • Navigate between multiple browser tabs and open applications
  • Find and manage files: Know where your genealogical images and documents are saved, and be able to upload or move them as needed
  • Log into websites and email on a laptop outside of your home environment

 

What to bring:

  • A laptop (strongly recommended) or use one of our society computers
  • Digitized copies of family photos and documents
  • An electronic copy of your family tree, either in software on your laptop, or in the cloud
  • Your ChatGPT login (we strongly recommend a Plus subscription to unlock full tools)

 

We also welcome users of Claude, Gemini, or Perplexity, but the demos will focus on ChatGPT.

Space is limited—register now to reserve your seat!

 

Ready to Register for the Workshop?

You can register for the workshop by using our secure online store or by downloading a flyer and mailing in your check or credit card information.

 

Questions: Send an email to .

 

Biographical Information on the Speaker:

Jim Ross began working on his family’s genealogy in 2007. When he retired from the IT department at BJC HealthCare after more than thirty-six years, he was finally able to dedicate more time to finding his great-grandfather’s birthplace in Ireland. (Still searching!) A long-time RootsMagic user since 2016, Jim enjoys exploring how emerging technologies—especially AI and large language models—can enhance genealogical research. He has a special knack for helping people who aren’t comfortable with technology feel confident using new software and websites.

 

Last modified: 07-Aug-2025 16:00