From Records to Narratives:

How AI is Breathing Life into Genealogy

For many family historians, the “Family Group Sheet” is the backbone of our research. It’s filled with names, dates, and locations—the “who, when, and where.” But the “how” and “why” of our ancestors’ lives often remain trapped behind the dry, tabular data of census returns and certificates.

How do we bridge the gap between a spreadsheet and a story? The answer lies in a new, collaborative workflow using Artificial Intelligence.

By using AI as a research partner rather than a ghostwriter, you can transform fragmented records into a meaningful narrative. Here is the step-by-step method to bring your ancestors into the light.

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The Workflow: A Three-Stage Process

Lesson 1. The Harvest (Data Gathering)

Start with your primary database, such as Ancestry. Focus on one individual and gather every scrap of evidence: census records, birth/marriage/death certificates, and burial records.

Data Harvesting & Curation

Before engaging with AI, you must provide the “ground truth” from your research.

• Select Your Subject: Open your family tree (e.g., Ancestry) and focus on a single individual.

• Gather Primary Sources: Download high-quality copies of essential records:

  • Census Records: These provide the “timeline” of their life.

  • Vital Records: Birth, Marriage, Death, and Burial (BMDB) certificates.

Optional AI Data Boost: If using Ancestry, utilize the Listen and Explore AI feature to uncover nuanced details within your records. Save these insights to your ancestor’s focus folder.

Lesson 2. The Analysis (Perplexity)

Upload your .jpg and .pdf records to Perplexity. This AI is excellent at “reading” documents and extracting pertinent facts.

• The Goal: Have a conversation. Ask the AI to identify patterns—like a sudden change in occupation or a family living in separate lodgings. This turns “data points” into “life events.”

Extraction & Analysis (The “Research Assistant” Phase)

We use Perplexity here because of its strength in analyzing uploaded documents and providing citations.

• The Upload: Upload your .jpg or .pdf records (Censuses, Certificates) directly into the chat.

• The Prompt: Start a conversation to extract the “meat” of the records.

  • Example: “Analyze these three census records for Alfred Wright. Identify his occupation changes and residential moves between 1871 and 1911.”

• The Transformation: Ask Perplexity to turn those facts into a rough narrative draft that highlights specific themes, such as “working life” or “social mobility.”

Lesson 3. The Synthesis (Gemini)

Finally, bring your raw narrative draft and your Family Group Sheet into Gemini. This is where the polish happens. Ask Gemini to combine the hard dates of the family sheet with the contextual story from your analysis to create a concise, professional “Life Sketch.”

Synthesis & Polishing (The “Editor” Phase)

Now, move to Gemini to refine the story and ensure it aligns perfectly with your family group data.

• The Context Cloud: Upload two specific items:

  • The Family Group Sheet (PDF) from your database (containing exact dates, parents, and children).

  • The Narrative Draft you generated in Perplexity.

• The Final Prompt: Use a direct, creative prompt to shape the tone.

  • Example: “Combine this Family Group Sheet with the narrative draft. Transform it into a concise, professional ‘Life Sketch’ for a public article. Focus on the transition from artisan to laborer.”

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The Artist (NotebookLM)

Creating the “Source of Truth” with NotebookLM

Once you have your final narrative and facts, you can use Google’s NotebookLM to act as a specialised historian for that specific ancestor.

• Create a Notebook: Title it after your ancestor (e.g., “Alfred Thomas Wright (1840–1923)”).

• Upload Sources: Upload your final Gemini narrative, the Family Group Sheet, and any key census transcriptions.

Lesson 1: Designing Professional Infographics with NotebookLM

Infographics are perfect for visualising a timeline or a “Life by the Numbers” chart. In the 2026 Studio Panel update, Google added a specialised tool to turn your source-grounded research into a “single, engaging visual summary”. This is ideal for visualising an ancestor’s life timeline, family tree, or career journey.

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Step 1: Preparation and Source Selection

• Finalise Your Sources: Ensure your notebook contains the high-quality narrative and Family Group Sheet generated in the previous steps.

• Selective Focusing: In the left sidebar, check only the documents you want included in the infographic.

  • Tip: If you want a career-focused infographic like Alfred’s, select only the census records and the Gemini narrative.

Step 2: Customising the Visual Style

• Open Studio: Navigate to the Studio panel on the right and select Infographic.

• Pencil Icon (Crucial): Click the pencil icon next to the title to unlock customisation.

• Set the Foundations:

  • Orientation: Choose Portrait (best for mobile/web reading), Landscape (best for presentations), or Square (best for social media).

  • Level of Detail: Select Concise for a high-level summary or Detailed for a comprehensive life-story breakdown.

Step 3: Mastering Style Prompts

Because NotebookLM is “Gemini under the hood,” the quality of your infographic depends on your prompt. In the custom instruction box, define the visual metaphor and colour palette.

Prompt Examples for Students:

• The “Journey” Style: “Design a winding path or road timeline that shows the transition from rural Essex to industrial London. Use a vintage, desaturated color scheme with burnt orange highlights”.

• The “Blueprint” Style: “Create a technical blueprint style infographic with a monochromatic blue palette. Focus on the chronological progression of addresses and job titles”.

• The “Sketchnote” Style: “Create a whiteboard-style infographic with marker-style doodles, arrow connectors, and handwritten fonts to represent family branches”.

Step 4: Generation and Export

• Wait for Background Processing: The visual is generated in the background, taking roughly two minutes, allowing you to keep working on your research.

• Download High-Res: Once complete, click the three dots menu (⋮) next to the generated title and select Download to save it as a PNG file.

• Sharing: You can share the infographic directly via a public link if your notebook settings allow “Anyone with a link” access.

Lesson 2: Building a Slide Deck

Use this for classroom presentations or family reunions to tell the ancestor’s story visually.

Step 1: Upload and Select Your Sources

• Create Your Notebook: Open NotebookLM and create a new notebook for your ancestor.

• Upload Records: Upload your primary evidence, such as PDFs of census records, JPGs of certificates, or the polished narrative you created in Gemini.

• Select Specific Sources: In the left-hand source panel, you can check or uncheck specific documents. This allows the AI to focus only on relevant records for your presentation.

Step 2: Configure and Edit the Slide Prompt

• Locate the Tool: Go to the Studio panel and find the Slide Deck option.

• Open Customisation: Click the pencil icon next to “Slide Deck” to open the configuration settings.

• Choose a Format:

  • Presenter Slides: Clean, visual slides with minimal text and speaker notes.

  • Detailed Deck: Comprehensive slides with full text, ideal for standalone reading.

• Edit the Prompt: Use the custom instruction box to define the style and audience.

  • Example Prompt: “Create a 6-slide presentation for a history class. Focus on the transition from skilled shoemaking to industrial labour. Use a professional, historical tone with a clear timeline. ”

Step 3: View and Download the Slides

• Generate and Preview: Click Generate. Once the process is complete, select the deck title in the Studio panel to open the viewer.

• View in Full Screen: Click Start Slideshow to present directly within the app.

• Download as PDF: Click the three dots menu (⋮) next to your slide deck title and select Download.

Review and Publish

AI can occasionally misinterpret handwritten script in old records. Always perform a final “sanity check”:

• Verify Dates: Ensure the AI didn’t confuse a birth year with a baptism year.

• Check Relationships: Confirm all children and spouses are correctly attributed.

• Upload: Once polished, add the story to your article or genealogy profile.

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See it in Action!

Alfred Thomas Wright: The Craftsman's Journey

To see exactly what this workflow produces, look at this finished example of Alfred Thomas Wright, my paternal great-grandfather. I have focussed on his transition from one industry to another.

Alfred was born in Halstead, Essex. For years, he was a skilled bootmaker in Stratford, raising nine children with his wife, Eliza Goats. However, the 1901 and 1911 censuses revealed a dramatic shift: as mechanisation killed off the independent cobbler trade, Alfred adapted.

In his 60s and 70s, he transitioned from a craftsman to a gas factory labourer. His story is no longer just a list of dates; it is a narrative of resilience and the grit of the East End working class.

🔗 Read the Full Article on WeAre: Alfred Thomas Wright

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Why This Matters

AI doesn’t replace the genealogist; it empowers us. It allows us to process vast amounts of historical context instantly, ensuring that men like Alfred—who might otherwise be forgotten as just another “labourer” on a census page—are remembered for the craftsmen they truly were.

Would you like me to help you draft the first prompt for your next ancestor’s analysis? Find out how you can create the building blocks of your ancestor profile in a few minutes with the help of AI tools!

Come and join me in the Ancestry in the Age of AI community on Facebook.