I'll start on a positive note. If you have no familiarity with AI and using these new tools, the information is presented simply and in a way most people can probably understand. Several AI tools are compared, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each. By using the same set of prompts for each tool, they clearly illustrate (with plenty of images) where different tools do well, and where they run into challenges. The course covers a basic introduction to AI, privacy and security concerns, tasks AI can and cannot do, and a presentation on creating simplistic prompts. It also illustrates how refining prompts assists in better responses. After showing examples from the various AI tools, they round it out with a few genealogy tasks AI is currently reasonably well suited for such as transcribing, translating, visualizing data and a couple others.
Now for the huge negative - the price. The course is regularly priced at $129, but could be less if they're running a special. I would NOT pay for this course under any circumstances! Certainly not at $129...and not at any reduced price either. It only took me a little over an hour to work thru the whole course (admittedly, this did not include any time spent practicing, as I already have a basic familiarity with AI). If you happen to have a Complete Access package (allowing free access to new course materials), it may be worth an hour or so if you haven't spent any time at all trying out AI. But, most of the information provided can be easily gleaned from reading posts written by those currently using AI as a genealogy tool. The comparison of various AI sites really didn't add much substance, though I did learn the names of a few tools I'll probably never bother to access. This is truly a bare bones introduction If you have any hands on time at all with AI, you're unlikely to gain much in the way of new insights.
Are you interested in an introductions to this new technology but don't know where to begin? I can definitely point you toward some free options to get you started! I recently came across AI Genealogy Insights. This is a blog dedicated to exploring AI as it relates to use in genealogy. While written at a slightly higher level than absolute beginner, it's more in depth and gives better insights into using AI alongside your traditional research. Best of all, it's completely FREE! There's an entire section dedicated to Use Cases where clear information is presented on creating and using extremely well structured prompts to achieve usable results. The prompts illustrated in this blog are head and shoulders above what's presented in the Family History Daily course. I'd urge you to spend an hour reading this blog over spending even a dime for the course. ChatGPT also offers the OpenAI Help Center. Here you have access to considerable information about this popular tool and how to best use it.
As you probably know from my other posts, I'm not at all opposed to paying for subscriptions, courses, or anything else to help further my knowledge and research. Some materials and tools are absolutely worth the investment (both time and money). This course is not one of them. You'd be far better off spending $20 a month for ChatGPT Plus for 6 months than paying for this course. AI is simply a tool. I don't mean to burst the bubble, but it's not going to replace traditional research any time soon. It can definitely assist with many mundane tasks such as transcribing and translating (though you still need to double check what it provides as it does make errors and sometimes fabricates information.) At this point in time, my personal suggestion if you're interested in using this technology is to read some of the posts on AI Genealogy Insights and go hands on with ChatGPT. You'll be surprised how quickly you can learn to use this new tech to help you in your genealogy journey.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
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