Relatives at RootsTech?

 

https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/

What am I supposed to do with my 4894 relatives at RootsTech? Any suggestions?

Goldie May AI Assistant at RootsTech 2026

 

https://www.goldiemay.com/

If you are going to RootsTech 2026, be sure to check out the Goldie May booth on the Expo Hall. Here are some videos that you may want to review both before and after RootsTech. 

The FULL, raw look at Goldie May's AI assistant for genealogists

https://youtu.be/kimoZDQPN5g?si=1Es5Uc7C0vVad3Ht

https://youtu.be/vHoTMgopnIk?si=NtsEEDetS6_z5jtJ

AI just changed how much genealogy you can get done

Go to the Goldie May YouTube Channel for more great videos. https://www.youtube.com/@GoldieMay

What's New from FamilySearch at RootsTech 2026

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivpBeGkxjzw&t=933s

Here is a summary from this recently uploaded video with announcements about changes coming to the familysearch.org website in 2026. You may wish to check back to the RootsTech 2026 website for any additional announcements that were not contained in this video. The numbers in parentheses indicate the time in the video where the subject is discussed. 

AI-Powered Full Text Search

• Graduation from Labs: The Full Text Search tool has officially moved out of FamilySearch Labs and is now a permanent feature on the site [07:25].

• Scale and Scope: FamilySearch has utilized AI for automated transcription to make historical images searchable. The database grew from 100 million images in 2024 to 1.2 billion images in 2025, covering records like land deeds, probate records, and censuses that were previously unindexed [16:00].

• User Corrections: A new software feature allows users to edit AI-generated transcripts [12:35]. This allows researchers to correct misread names or words, improving the record's searchability for the entire community [12:46].

• Advanced Filtering: The search interface now includes a new layout for easier filtering and specific keyword searching, such as using quotes for exact names or plus signs to find individuals mentioned together in a record [22:10].

AI Research Assistant

• Home Page Integration: The AI Research Assistant is now a "widget" on the FamilySearch home page that automatically surfaces "tree-extending hints"—potential relatives found in records who are not yet in your tree [28:06].

• Verification Logic: The system applies over a dozen automated filters to check for duplicates and ensure biographical consistency before presenting a hint to the user [30:18].

• Current Impact: The tool is already helping users add approximately 10,000 new names to the Family Tree daily [32:01].

Future Innovations: Contextual Reasoning

• AI as a Reasoning Partner: FamilySearch is developing a concept where AI doesn't just match text but applies historical reasoning to help users make decisions [35:16].

• Plausibility Checking: Upcoming features will analyze a record's "contextual logic," such as checking if a parent's age is within childbearing years or if a move is geographically plausible for the time period [36:19].

• Cultural Nuance: The AI is being trained to recognize complex naming conventions, such as Norwegian patronymics or German naming patterns, to reduce the "cognitive load" on the researcher [36:28].

RootsTech 2026 & Labs

• FamilySearch Labs: The site continues to host experimental features at familysearch.org/labs, where users can test upcoming tools and provide direct feedback to engineering teams [42:09].

• RootsTech Dates: The conference will take place March 5–7, 2026, both in-person in Salt Lake City and virtually at rootstech.org [50:09].

RootsTech is here: what to know

 

https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/

The RootsTech 2026 is scheduled for March 5–7, 2026, held in person at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, and virtually online.

• Theme: The official theme is "Together", emphasizing the power of connecting across generations, cultures, and shared family stories.

• Format: It is a hybrid event. The online experience is free and includes over 200 new sessions in 26+ languages. The in-person event offers 250+ exclusive sessions, networking opportunities, and a hands-on Expo Hall.

Key Highlights & Features

• Keynote Speakers: The 2026 lineup features inspiring figures such as NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young, Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin, NASA astronaut José Hernández, and National Geographic explorer Tara Roberts.

• Educational Classes: Attendees can choose from hundreds of sessions covering topics like DNA and genetic genealogy, artificial intelligence in research, breaking through "brick walls," and regional research strategies for Africa, Asia, Europe, and more.

• Expo Hall: A massive showcase where leading genealogy companies (like MyHeritage and Ancestry) and tech startups demonstrate new products, offer one-on-one consultations, and reveal industry innovations.

• Relatives at RootsTech: A popular interactive feature that allows participants to see how they are related to other conference attendees (both online and in person) by scanning their FamilySearch Family Tree.

• Family Discovery Day: A free event on the final day (March 7) featuring activities and messages specifically designed for families and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often featuring Church leaders like Elder Ronald A. Rasband.

Whether you attend to sharpen your research skills, find living relatives, or be inspired by keynote stories, RootsTech provides a comprehensive learning library that remains accessible on-demand throughout the year.

In past years, you could expect weather from blizzard conditions to Spring-like but this year there has been a severe drought in Utah and despite the drought, there might be warmer weather and some rain showers. In Utah in March, you plan for both cold weather or warm. 

Moving to a New Research Level by Using AI Prompts as a Research Tool.

Over the past few weeks, the online AI community has experienced a major shift in perspective. The emerging consensus is that interacting with AI is fundamentally different from performing a Google search. Using Google Gemini as an example, much of the current discussion focuses on the importance of developing complex prompts. There is a significant difference between simply asking a question and issuing a structured command. By using specific, detailed prompts, users find that responses from Gemini and other chatbots almost entirely avoid fabrications—a term I find more appropriate than 'hallucinations.'

In addition, Google has focused on integrating additional AI apps into cooperative teams. For example, although the basic AI tool is now Gemini 3.1, Google Gems (an active part of Gemini), provides a tool for drafting and organizing effective prompts. Here is a short explanation of how Google Gems works created by Google Gemini. Note: This explanation has been personalized to address my own background. 

Using Google Gems as a "support partner" effectively turns Gemini from a generalist into a specialized teammate that remembers your specific preferences, workflows, and technical background.

Here are the basic steps to set up and use them as your personal support squad:

1. Access the "Gems" Lab

• On the web, look at the left-hand sidebar of the Gemini interface.

• Click the Gems link to see in the left hand side bar (expand the sidebar by clicking on the hamburger icon )

• You will see Premade Gems (like "Writing Editor" or "Brainstormer") and an option to create a New Gem.

2. Define the "Support" Persona

When creating a new Gem, the "Instructions" box is where you define the partnership. A strong support partner needs four things:

• Persona: Tell it who it is (e.g., "You are an expert Genealogy Research Assistant with a background in linguistics").

• Task: Tell it what it does (e.g., "You help me analyze historical documents and suggest potential connections in family trees").

• Context: Give it your background rules (e.g., "I prefer concise, fact-based summaries and standard legal citations").

• Format: How you want the results (e.g., "Present findings in a bulleted list with a summary of confidence levels").

Pro Tip: If you aren't sure how to phrase the instructions, write a messy draft and click the "Use Gemini to rewrite" (sparkly pencil) icon. It will polish your rough thoughts into a professional prompt.

3. Upload Your "Knowledge Base"

This is what makes a Gem a true partner rather than just a chat. You can upload up to 10 files (PDFs, Docs, etc.) that the Gem will reference every time you talk to it.

• For a legal partner, you might upload specific procedural rules.

• For a genealogy partner, you might upload a style guide for your blog or a specific family history project outline.

4. Integrate into Your Workflow

Once saved, you don't always have to go to the Gemini website to use your Gem:

• Sidebar Access: Pin your favorite Gems to the top of your sidebar for one-click access.

• Workspace Integration: In Google Docs or Gmail, you can pull up the Gemini side panel and select your specific Gem to help draft or edit content right where you are working.

• Sharing: If you are collaborating with family or colleagues, you can Share your Gem. This gives them the same "expert" setup you've built, ensuring consistency across your team or projects.

Here is an example of a research prompt developed using Google Gems.

Act as a Board-certified Professional Genealogist. Your goal is to assist me in researching [Name/Family Line] while strictly adhering to the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS).

For every piece of information you provide or analyze, you must:

Evaluate Evidence: Distinguish between direct, indirect, and negative evidence.

Assess Source Reliability: Categorize sources as Original, Derivative, or Authored, and information as Primary or Secondary.

Identify Conflicts: Explicitly point out any contradictions in the records (e.g., differing birth dates or spellings).

Assign Reliability Scores: Provide a degree of confidence (e.g., Low, Moderate, High) for each conclusion based on the quality of the documentation.

Maintain Citations: Use a standard format (like Evidence Explained) for all sources referenced.

We will begin by defining a specific research objective. Please acknowledge these standards and ask me for the known facts of the 'Target Person' to start our reasonably exhaustive search.

When you begin focusing on how you create your prompts, you will move to a whole different level of AI usage.   

Weekly Online AI Q&A from the BYU Library Family History Center

 

https://familyhistory.lib.byu.edu/live-virtual-family-history-help

For the past few weeks, I have been conducting an hour-long, open, free, Q&A session from the BYU Library Family History Center Virtual Help Desk. We have had some extremely interesting discussions. Here is the information for attending. 

Time: Every Thursday at 10:00 am Mountain Time (MDT) (Except RootsTech, Scheduled Holidays, University Semester Breaks, or some unavoidable conflict in my own schedule. If the connection does not work, it will probably be one of these reasons. If I am unavailable, the library volunteers will know and you are free to ask anyone else in the library for help. 

Topics: No planned classes just open discussion. Ask any question in the known or unknown universe. 

Reason: When I am talking to people about AI, I gain a greater knowledge of how and why they use AI or why they don't use AI. 

Please feel free to tune in. 

MyHeritage Expands to 50 Languages

 

https://blog.myheritage.com/2026/01/myheritage-expands-to-50-languages/

Here is part of the announcement from MyHeritage.com

We’re excited to share that the MyHeritage website is now fully available in 50 languages, following the addition of 9 more languages. This expansion enables millions more people around the world to discover who they are and where they belong, in their native language. It will also lead to more valuable matches and discoveries for MyHeritage users worldwide as more diverse audiences join and build their family trees on the platform.

The addition of new languages is another step forward in our continued commitment to making family history accessible to as many people as possible. This commitment has made MyHeritage the world’s leading international genealogy and DNA testing service.

Here are the new languages just added to MyHeritage:

Albanian

Basque

Bosnian

Georgian

Icelandic

Irish

Luxembourgish

Maltese

Welsh

Personally, I can see languages on this short list that I have done research in in the not-too-distant past. Those include Basque, Irish, Icelandic, and Welsh. 

MyHeritage’s expansion to 50 languages is a major milestone in this evolution. By localizing tools and interfaces into languages from Afrikaans to Vietnamese, the platform invites millions of native speakers worldwide to participate. This is vital because the most critical documents—the "smoking guns" of your family history—are often held by distant cousins in non-English speaking countries.

Here is the full list of the 50 languages currently supported by MyHeritage.