From Problem to Solution: A Case Study Approach to Using AI in Genealogy

Genealogy research rarely follows a tidy, linear path—and this Legacy Family Tree Webinars session leans into that reality. In “From Problem to Solution: A Case Study Approach to Using AI in Genealogy,” Andrew Redfern demonstrates how artificial intelligence can support real research work: sorting messy evidence, surfacing hidden clues, and clarifying next steps when records conflict or go missing. Rather than treating AI as a tool for polishing a finished narrative, the webinar shows how to use it as a thinking partner throughout the investigative process—especially helpful for brick walls, incomplete timelines, and documents that still hold untapped details.

• A practical research cycle replaces “ask-and-accept” searching. The webinar centers on a repeatable four-step method—assemble, analyze, question, plan—that mirrors strong genealogical practice while making the researcher’s reasoning more explicit and trackable.

• AI becomes most valuable during research, not after it. Live examples show how AI can help transcribe and mine letters for genealogically relevant details, flag inconsistencies (such as locations and timeframes), and transform narrative material into structured timelines—without skipping straight to conclusions.

• Different problem types call for different AI tactics. Beyond narrative sources, the session illustrates how structured reports can be audited for missing fields, and how conflicting evidence (such as mismatched baptisms or dates) can be approached with targeted questions that keep the process evidence-led instead of assumption-driven.

The full webinar is worth viewing for the step-by-step demonstrations, prompt examples, and the “researcher mindset” that keeps AI outputs in their proper place: helpful suggestions that still require human judgment, source evaluation, and follow-up work. Watching the complete recording also reveals how small prompt adjustments can prevent distractions (like premature “polishing”) and keep efforts focused on solving the underlying research problem. To extend the learning, the syllabus materials provide additional guidance—including a reusable worksheet designed to support repeated use of the cycle across multiple ancestors—making it easier to apply these methods to current projects and long-standing brick walls.