Artificial Intelligence (AI) is affecting almost everything we do today. The NGS 2026 Family History Conference will present six sessions that will teach you how to use this exciting new technology for genealogy:
WS01 Starting Smart with AI: Hands-On Tools for Family Historians
Tuesday, 26 May 2026, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Instructor: Lori Samuelson
In this 3-hour hands-on workshop, you’ll explore practical ways to use AI for transcription, translation, research planning, and writing support while learning how to check its work and apply it responsibly. You’ll experiment with real examples, compare results, and walk away with prompts, worksheets, and an AI toolkit you can immediately put to use in your own research and writing.
TH08 When AI Becomes a Genealogist’s Collaborator: Tracing a 1917 Refugee Escape
Thursday, 28 May 2026, 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Instructor: Gil Bardige
What happens when a genealogist invites storytelling—and AI—as collaborators? Through the 1917 refugee journey of Gittle Bardiga and her son Meyer, this session shows how combining narrative reconstruction with AI tools can lead to discoveries missed in years of record-focused research and offer new strategies for genealogical best practice.
TH24 Decoding America’s Past: Using AI to Understand 250 Years of Historical Terminology
Thursday, 28 May 2026, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Instructor: Nicole Elder Dyer
Learn how artificial intelligence can help interpret archaic language in genealogical documents from colonial times through the 20th century.
SA02 Navigating the AI Frontier: Paired Team Field Reports
Saturday, 30 May 2026, 8:00-9:00 a.m.
Instructor: Steve Little
This session brings together genealogical subject matter experts (SME) and experienced AI practitioners who have collaborated on real research projects in the months leading up to this conference. Each SME–AI team reports what they discovered: what worked, what failed, and what surprised them. Fast presentations are followed by cross-team panel discussion and audience Q&A.
SA07 AI in America: Illuminating 250 Years of Social, Cultural, Political, Economic, and Familial Contexts
Saturday, 30 May 2026, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Instructor: Edward J. Swierczewski Jr
Explore how AI tools can help genealogists reconstruct the everyday lives of ancestors within the context of America’s social, cultural, political, and economic history. Learn how to use AI to connect records, reveal context, and bring 250 years of family stories to life.
SA30 The Latest in Ethical Issues Associated with Generative Artificial Intelligence
Saturday, 30 May 2026, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Instructor: Blaine T. Bettinger
Generative AI can be a powerful partner in genealogical research—but it also raises new ethical questions. This session unpacks issues like plagiarism, copyright, and accuracy so you can use AI confidently, responsibly, and with integrity.
Early bird registration ends 28 February 2026. Register here.