Five hands-on exercises from Jan's class. Pick the one that matches what you brought. Open your AI assistant, then tap Copy and paste each prompt in, one at a time.
Tap the + or the paperclip in the assistant and choose your photo. On a phone, you can photograph a paper print right there. Then paste:
Please look at this photograph and tell me approximately when you think it was taken, based on clothing and photographic style. Tell me which clues you used. Only use information from the photo for your analysis.
Is there writing on it? Ask next:
Please transcribe any writing on this photo exactly as written. Mark any words you are uncertain about with [?].
To colorize it: sign in at myheritage.com, upload the photo, and choose Colorize. Enhance sharpens blurry faces. A free account gets several photos free, with a small logo in the corner. Church members get MyHeritage free by signing in at familysearch.org/access.
MyHeritage won't cooperate? Ask your AI assistant instead. It repaints the whole picture, so faces and writing can change. Keep the original.
Please colorize and repair this photo. Keep the faces exactly as they are.
📰 An obituary or clipping
Upload a photo of it, or paste the text. Ask these one at a time. Each answer feeds the next.
Please read this obituary and create a chronological timeline of the key events in this person's life. Include every date, place, and person mentioned.
Now write a short biographical paragraph based on this timeline. Write it as a story, not a list. Use only the facts provided.
What was daily life like for someone in this occupation, in this place, during this time period? What challenges would they have faced?
Based on this person's life, what additional records might exist that I haven't mentioned? What should I search for next?
✍️ A handwritten letter or record
Upload a photo of the page, then paste:
Please transcribe this handwritten document exactly as written. Mark any words you are uncertain about with [?]. Do not correct spelling or modernize the language.
Another language? Ask next:
Now give me a plain-English translation. List every name, date, and place, and note anything you are unsure about.
📝 Three facts about a person
Fill in the brackets, then ask these one at a time. Each one builds on the answer before it.
Here are three facts about my [grandmother / uncle / great-grandfather], [NAME]: [FACT 1]. [FACT 2]. [FACT 3]. Write a short paragraph about this person's life using only these facts.
Make it warmer, like a story told at a family reunion.
Now make it half as long.
Ask me three questions that would help you write this better.
Answer its questions in your own words, and ask it to try again.
🎙️ Just your memories: let it interview you
Nothing on paper? Your memory is a source too. The AI asks the questions, one at a time, and you answer. Talking is easier than typing: tap the voice button (the sound-wave icon beside the microphone) and just have a conversation.
About someone you remember:
I want to save what I remember about my [grandmother / uncle / father], [NAME], for my family. Please interview me the way a kind, curious grandchild would. Ask me ONE short question at a time and wait for my answer. Start with what this person was like and where they lived. If I mention a person, a place, or a story, ask about it before moving on. There are no wrong answers. If I don't remember something, just move on. Never add details I didn't tell you. After about ten questions, write up what I told you as a short story, using only what I said, and ask me what needs fixing.
About your own life:
I want to save my life stories for my family. Please interview me the way a kind, curious grandchild would. Ask me ONE short question at a time and wait for my answer. Over time, cover my childhood, my family's stories and traditions, love and marriage, work and adventures, food memories, and the times that shaped me. Start with my childhood. If I mention a person, a place, or a story, ask about it before moving on. There are no wrong answers. If I don't remember something, just move on. Never add details I didn't tell you. After about ten questions, write up what I told you as a short story in my own words, and ask me what needs fixing.
Keep what it writes: copy it into the free Life History Journal, which has more questions in the same chapters, or print it for the family.
⚠️ Whatever you tried: what did it add that you never gave it?
Any name, date, or detail that isn't in what you brought or what you said, it made up or guessed. AI predicts what is likely, not what is true. Keep the parts you can prove. Check the rest against the record.
Then ask it to show its work. Its answer tells you where to look, not what is true, so check the source it names yourself:
How sure are you about each fact? Which come from original records, which from family trees or compiled histories, and which are guesses? Where do sources disagree?
📄 Keep going at home
Try one of the other exercises on this page, or anything on the take-home sheet. On a center computer, sign out of every site before you leave, and take your thumb drive.