The Family History AI Show

• EP36: Browser Wars Heat Up, What AI Can Learn from AOL, Anthropic's Speedy New AI Model, Simple Path to Better Prompts

  Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little discuss how new AI browsers are changing how genealogists research. They compare OpenAI's Atlas, Microsoft Edge, Google's Gemini, and Perplexity's Comet, explaining which features help family historians most.The hosts share lessons from the early AOL era that can be applied to the AI era. They also explore Anthropic's new Haiku 4.5, a very fast model that works great for simple tasks like transcription and summarization.Don’t miss this week's Tip of the Week, where Steve shows how AI can help you write better AI prompts. He uses an example for extracting information from draft cards to show how useful this approach can be.In RapidFire, they cover new AI features in spreadsheets, major improvements in transcribing old handwriting, and how Microsoft Copilot's new agent store tries to help you with common tasks.Timestamps:In the News:01:20 Browser Wars Heat Up: OpenAI Atlas, Edge, and Gemini Compete16:50 What AI Can Learn from AOL: Avoiding Walled Garden Mistakes29:10 Anthropic's Haiku 4.5: When Smaller Models Beat Bigger OnesTip of the Week:39:50 Using AI to Write Better Prompts for Historical DocumentsRapidFire:47:19 AI Makes Spreadsheets Easier: Google Sheets vs Excel54:35 Reading Old Handwriting Gets Better: DeepSeek and Google Updates01:05:15 Microsoft Copilot Adds Writing and Prompt CoachesResource Links:Genealogy and AI Facebook to hit 20k users! https://www.facebook.com/groups/genealogyandaiAn In-Depth Look at OpenAI's AI Browserhttps://intuitionlabs.ai/articles/chatgpt-atlas-openai-browserDeepSeek AI created DeepSeek-OCR https://www.infoq.com/news/2025/10/deepseek-ocr/Nearly perfect on handwriting recognition https://generativehistory.substack.com/p/has-google-quietly-solved-two-ofGlobal AI Browser Market Sizehttps://market.us/report/ai-browser-market/Benchmarking Claude Haiku 4.5 and Sonnet 4.5 on 400 Real PRshttps://www.qodo.ai/blog/thinking-vs-thinking-benchmarking-claude-haiku-4-5-and-sonnet-4-5-on-400-real-prs/Anthropic’s Claude Haiku 4.5 Brings Enterprise-Grade Speed and Savings to Customer-Facing AIhttps://www.cxtoday.com/contact-center/anthropics-claude-haiku-4-5-brings-enterprise-grade-speed-and-savings-to-customer-facing-ai/Top 10 AI Spreadsheet Toolshttps://www.knack.com/blog/top-ai-spreadsheet-tools/Prompt Coach: Prebuilt agent for Microsoft 365 Copilot Chathttps://rishonapowerplatform.com/2025/03/11/prompt-coach-prebuilt-agent-for-microsoft-365-copilot-chat/Tags:Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, AI Browsers, OpenAI Atlas, Google Gemini, Microsoft Edge, Perplexity Comet, Anthropic Haiku, Meta-Prompting, Spreadsheet AI, OCR Technology, Handwritten Text, DeepSeek, Microsoft Copilot, AI Agents, Document Extraction, Family History, Browser Wars, AI Models

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• EP35: Nano Banana Comes to Photoshop, ChatGPT Projects Now Free, Citation Best Practices for Nano Banana, Sora 2 Goes Social, Claude Writes MS Office Documents

  Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore how Google's Nano Banana photo restoration tool will revolutionize image restoration by integrating with Adobe Photoshop. This move will greatly reduce unintended changes to historical photos when editing them with AI.Next, they unpack OpenAI’s move to make ChatGPT Projects available to free-tier users, making research organization more accessible for genealogists.This week's Tip of the Week provides essential guidance on the responsible use AI when editing historical photos using AI tools like Nano Banana, ensuring transparency and trust in historical photographs.In RapidFire, they cover OpenAI's new Sora 2 AI-video social media platform, Claude's new ability to create and edit Microsoft Office files, memory features in Claude Projects, advancements in local language models, and how OpenAI's massive infrastructure deals are changing the AI landscape.Timestamps:In the News:02:43 Adobe improves historical photo restoration by adding Nano Banana to Photoshop09:34 ChatGPT Projects are Now FreeTip of the Week:13:36 Citations for AI-Restored Images Build Trust in AI-Modified PhotosRapidFire:21:24 Sora 2 Goes Social27:23 Claude Adds Microsoft Office Creation and Editing34:26 Memory Features Come to Claude Projects38:32 Apple and Amazon both create Local Language Model tools44:47 OpenAI's Big Data Centre Deal with Oracle Resource LinksOpenAI announces free access to ChatGPT Projectshttps://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notesEngadget: OpenAI Rolls Out ChatGPT Projects to Free Usershttps://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-rolls-out-chatgpt-projects-to-free-users-215027802.htmlForbes: OpenAI Makes ChatGPT Projects Freehttps://www.forbes.com/sites/quickerbettertech/2025/09/14/small-business-technology-roundup-microsoft-copilot-does-not-improve-productivity-and-openai-makes-chatgpt-project-free/Responsible AI Photo Restorationhttps://makingfamilyhistory.com/responsible-ai-photo-restoration/Claude now has memory, but only for certain usershttps://mashable.com/article/anthropic-claude-ai-now-has-memory-for-some-usersNew Apple Intelligence features are available todayhttps://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/09/new-apple-intelligence-features-are-available-today/Introducing Amazon Lens Livehttps://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/search-image-amazon-lens-live-shopping-rufusAmazon Lens Live Can Scan and Pull Up Matcheshttps://www.pcmag.com/news/spot-an-item-you-wish-to-buy-amazon-lens-live-can-scan-and-pull-up-matchesA Joint Statement from OpenAI and Microsoft About Their Changing Partnershiphttps://openai.com/index/joint-statement-from-openai-and-microsoft/The Verge: OpenAI and Oracle Pen $300 Billion Compute Dealhttps://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/776170/oracle-openai-300-billion-contract-project-stargateReuters: OpenAI and Oracle Sign $300 Billion Computing Dealhttps://www.reuters.com/technology/openai-oracle-sign-300-billion-computing-deal-wsj-reports-2025-09-10/?utm_source=chatgpt.comTagsArtificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, Photo Restoration, AI Tools, OpenAI, Google, Adobe Photoshop, ChatGPT Projects, Nano Banana, Image Editing, AI Citations, Sora 2, Video Generation, Claude, Microsoft Office, Apple Intelligence, Amazon Lens, Oracle, Cloud Computing, Local Language Models, AI Infrastructure, Responsible AI, Historical Photos

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• EP34: 2025 Mid-Year AI Review, FamilySearch Full-Text Goes Live, Nano Banana Photo Restoration Tips, AI's Environmental Impact

  Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little review the biggest AI breakthroughs of 2025 so far, from DeepSeek's open-source revolution to GPT-5's unified reasoning model.Mark and Steve also celebrate FamilySearch's Full-Text Search moving from experimental labs to the main website, covering 1.4 billion records across 4,300 collections plus new summarization and filtering features.This week's Tip of the Week provides practical guidance on using Nano Banana for photo restoration, explaining when it works brilliantly and when to exercise caution with damaged images.In RapidFire, they examine competing reports on AI's environmental impact, explore Google's new AI Mode in mobile apps, and discuss the landmark antitrust ruling that forces Google to share search data with competitors.Timestamps:In the News:03:44 2025 Mid-Year Review: AI's Explosive Growth in Genealogy29:08 FamilySearch Full Text Search Is Now Live37:57 AI Success Stories in the Wild: Real Genealogists, Real ResultsTip of the Week:47:53 Best Uses for Nano Banana (Gemini Nano): Small Model, Big ImpactRapidFire:59:54 AI's Environmental Debate: Energy Costs vs. Benefits1:03:50 Google AI in Mobile Apps: What It Means for Genealogists1:11:07 Google Antitrust Ruling Issued: Impact on AI DevelopmentResource Links:Intro to Family History AI by the Family History AI Show Academyhttps://tixoom.app/fhaishowFull-Text Search (must be logged in to use this link)https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/full-text/Full-Text Search Leaves FamilySearch Labshttps://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/full-text-search-leaves-familysearch-labsHow do I use FullText Search?https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-use-fulltext-searchResponsible AI Photo Restorationhttps://makingfamilyhistory.com/responsible-ai-photo-restoration/WaPo AI Energy Usage, Sept 2024https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/09/18/energy-ai-use-electricity-water-data-centers/Google: How much energy does Google's AI use? We did the mathhttps://cloud.google.com/blog/products/infrastructure/measuring-the-environmental-impact-of-ai-inference/Judge orders Google to share search data as part of antitrust ruling --- but Google gets to keep Chromehttps://www.tomsguide.com/computing/search-engines/judge-orders-google-to-share-search-data-as-part-of-antitrust-ruling-but-google-gets-to-keep-chrome?utm_source=chatgpt.com Tags:Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, DeepSeek R1, AI Reasoning, Open Source AI, Free AI Tools, ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, OpenAI Operator, AI Agents, Beginner AI Guide, Research Tools, Document Analysis, AI Democratization, Context Windows, Deep Research, AI Writing, Browser Automation, Genealogy Research, AI Accessibility, Reasoning Models, AI Education

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• EP33: ChatGPT 5 Aftermath, Nano Banana Image Revolution, Save Time with AI Citations, Anthropic Changes its Stance on Chat Privacy, The AI Browser Wars Heat Up

  Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little return from summer break to discuss the mixed reception of ChatGPT 5 and how OpenAI responded to user feedback.They explore Google's game-changing Nano Banana (Gemini Flash Image) model that revolutionizes selective image editing, reigniting debates about AI photo restoration in genealogy.This week's Tip of the Week emphasizes not letting perfect be the enemy of the good, especially when it comes to AI-powered citation. Mark shares his experience with 100 citations as part of the WikiTree Challenge.In RapidFire, they cover Apple's possible Gemini partnership, new AI study modes for back-to-school season, Anthropic's copyright settlement, and controversial changes to its privacy policy. They close with escalating skirmishes in the escalating AI browser wars.Timestamps:In the News:05:14 ChatGPT 5 Launch Aftermath: Mixed Reception and Quick Fixes 17:15 Nano Banana: Google's Game-Changing Image Editing ModelTip of the Week:32:38 Don't Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Good: Building Citation PromptsRapidFire:43:27 Apple Explores Google Gemini Partnership for Siri 47:16 Back to School: AI Study Modes from ChatGPT and Gemini 53:00 Anthropic Settles Copyright Lawsuit with Authors 56:29 Anthropic Reverses Privacy Stance on Training Data 60:55 AI Browser Wars: Anthropic and Google Enter the FrayResource LinksIntro to Family History AI by the Family History AI Show Academyhttps://tixoom.app/fhaishowMass Intelligence by Ethan Mollickhttps://www.oneusefulthing.org/p/mass-intelligenceCreate and edit images with Geminihttps://deepmind.google/models/gemini/image/Google take 'giant leap' with launch of 'Nano Banana'https://www.uniladtech.com/news/ai/google-giant-leap-nano-banana-launch-image-editing-305898-20250828Apple Explores Using Google Gemini AI to Power Revamped Sirihttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-22/apple-explores-using-google-gemini-ai-to-power-revamped-siriGuided Learning in Gemini: From answers to understandinghttps://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/guided-learning/Introducing study modehttps://openai.com/index/chatgpt-study-mode/Anthropic Settles Copyright Lawsuithttps://www.reuters.com/legal/government/anthropics-surprise-settlement-adds-new-wrinkle-ai-copyright-war-2025-08-27/Anthropic Updates Data Policyhttps://www.anthropic.com/news/updates-to-our-consumer-termsNew Opt-Out Policy Reverses Stance on Using Consumer Data for AI Traininghttps://techcrunch.com/2025/08/28/anthropic-users-face-a-new-choice-opt-out-or-share-your-data-for-ai-training/Anthropic launches a Claude AI agent that lives in Chromehttps://techcrunch.com/2025/08/26/anthropic-launches-a-claude-ai-agent-that-lives-in-chrome/Google is launching a Gemini integration in Chromehttps://techcrunch.com/2025/05/20/google-is-launching-a-gemini-integration-in-chrome/TagsArtificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, Technology, ChatGPT, OpenAI, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, Image Editing, Nano Banana, AI Photography, Citation Management, WikiTree, AI Study Modes, Copyright Law, Privacy Policy, Browser Extensions, AI Training Data, Photo Restoration, Apple Siri, Educational AI, Model Selection, AI Ethics, Chrome Integration

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• EP32: ChatGPT-5 Arrives, Study Mode for ChatGPT, Claude 4.1 Upgrade, OpenAI Goes Open Source, Earnings Season Good for Big AI, Google Loses Another Monopoly Appeal

  Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore the groundbreaking release of ChatGPT-5, which arrived after over a year of anticipation. They discuss how this new model transforms the AI landscape with better reasoning, larger context windows, and dramatically reduced hallucinations.The hosts examine OpenAI's new Study and Learn Mode, which acts as a personal tutor rather than just providing answers, making it ideal for genealogists who want to deepen their understanding of their favourite topic.This week's Tip of the Week cautions beginners about challenging AI tasks like handwritten transcriptions and structured files, recommending they master the basics first.In RapidFire, they cover OpenAI's first open-source release since 2019, NotebookLM's video capabilities, and impressive AI company earnings reports.Timestamps:In the News:00:55 ChatGPT-5 Has Arrived: Improved Features (mostly) for Genealogists16:29 OpenAI's Study and Learn Mode: Your Personal Genealogy Tutor23:40 Claude Releases Opus 4.1: Enhanced Reasoning and WritingTip of the Week:29:25 AI Tasks for Beginners to Be Cautious OfRapidFire:40:16 OpenAI Releases First Open Source Model Since 201948:33 NotebookLM Upgrade Adds Video Support53:34 AI Companies Report Record EarningsResource LinksIntroduction to Family History AIhttps://tixoom.app/fhaishow/OpenAI GPT-5 Model Cardhttps://openai.com/index/gpt-5-system-card/Introducing study modehttps://openai.com/index/chatgpt-study-mode/ChatGPT Study Mode - FAQhttps://help.openai.com/en/articles/11780217-chatgpt-study-mode-faqClaude Opus 4.1https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-opus-4-1OpenAI announces two "gpt-oss" open AI modelshttps://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/08/openai-releases-its-first-open-source-models-since-2019/Google's NotebookLM rolls out Video Overviewshttps://techcrunch.com/2025/07/29/googles-notebooklm-rolls-out-video-overviews/Tech bubble going pop: AI pays the price for inflated expectationshttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/07/the-guardian-view-on-a-tech-bubble-going-pop-ai-pays-the-price-for-inflated-expectationsIs The AI Bubble About To Burst?https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2024/08/07/is-the-ai-bubble-about-to-burst/Google loses appeal in antitrust battle with Fortnite makerhttps://masslawyersweekly.com/2025/08/06/google-play-monopoly-verdict-epic-games-win/Department of Justice Prevails in Landmark Antitrust Case Against Googlehttps://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-prevails-landmark-antitrust-case-against-googleTagsArtificial Intelligence, Technology, Genealogy, Family History, OpenAI, ChatGPT-5, Claude, Large Language Models, AI Learning Tools, Study Mode, Open Source AI, NotebookLM, Video Overviews, AI Reasoning, Context Windows, Hallucination Reduction, GEDCOM Files, Handwritten Transcription, Document Analysis, AI Earnings, Google Antitrust, Apache License, Local AI Processing, Privacy, AI Education, Tutoring Systems, Coding Capabilities, Multilingual Processing, AI Development, Family History Research, Genealogists, AI Tools, Machine Learning

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