Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Genealogy News Bytes - Week of 24 to 30 December 2025

Welcome to Genealogy News Bytes, posted on Tuesday afternoon for the past week, where we try to highlight the most important genealogy and family history news  items that came across our desktop since the last issue.    


1)  Genealogy and Family History News Articles:












2)  DNA/IGG-Related News Articles


Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.  

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Randy's "Best Of" Genea-Musings Posts in 2025

 I wrote over 1,110 blog posts in 2025, including some pretty good ones, IMHO;  I want to list the "best ones" - according to me!  They are the ones I want to be able to easily find later, or ones that might help another researcher.  I'm going to list some of the Artificial Intelligence posts of general interest, and the others are all listed on the Randy's AI and Genealogy page.  


I'll list my picks in chronological order:
There are 43 blog posts on this list.  I asked a lot of Ask AI questions, attended RootsTech 2025 virtually, answered a few reader questions, and highlighted new research features.    

Blog posts featuring Artificial Intelligence gradually morphed from once or twice a week to one or more posts every day by December.  I completed the 60 ABC Biographies from my parents through y second great-grandparents, and continued on with my Seaver line, a few other ancestors, and started on my wife Linda's families.  I use the ABC biographies to create life memoirs, a day in the life, ancestor dialogues, and other family stories. I started writing serial family stories for my Carringer great-grandparents, my parents romance, and my own memories in The Watchful House series.  All of the above AI articles are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. 

 In addition (but not on the list above), I transcribed and sourced many of the records and documents on hand in my weekly  Amanuensis Monday and Treasure Chest Thursday posts, and added to the ancestor genelaogical sketches in the 52 Ancestors and 52 Relatives series.  Then there were the curation posts for Best of the Genea-Blogs, Genealogy PotPourri, Ancestry New/Updated collections, FamilySearch new/updated collections, MyHeritage New/Updated collections, Findmypast new collections, Genealogy News Bytes and Genealogy Education Bytes.  Finally, there are the weekly Wordless Wednesday and Saturday Night Genealogy Fun posts, plus occasional publicity posts I receive from the genealogy companies.

With this list, I should be able to remember some of what I wrote in 2025!

================================================


Copyright (c) 2024, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,

Ask AI: "What Technology Innovations Are Expected in Genealogy and Family History In the Next 5 Years?"

I asked five LLMs to provide information about the technology innovations that might be available over the next five years for genealogy research, writing family history stories, and for DNA autosomal research.

Here is my prompt: What technology innovations in genealogy research, family history stories, and autosomal DNA matching and analysis are expected in the next 5 years?

(AI Google NotebookLM Infographic - Future of Family History)

Here is the best response (in my humble opinion) from Google Gemini 3 (free, as of 29 December 2025):

Genealogy is transitioning from a manual hobby into an AI-augmented science. In the next five years, the focus will shift from "finding records" to "synthesizing meaning."

Here is a more descriptive look at the technology improvements expected by 2030 across your three areas of interest. 

1. AI-Driven Research & Discovery

In the next five years, the "Brick Wall" will become less of a dead end and more of a data-processing challenge. AI is moving from simple search to active reasoning.

  • Full-Text Search for Handwritten Records:
    • By 2026–2027, platforms like FamilySearch and Ancestry will move beyond basic indexing (names and dates). AI will enable Full-Text Search across billions of unindexed images. Instead of searching for "John Smith," you will search for "The blacksmith who lived on Miller Lane in 1840," and AI will "read" every word of every tax list and deed to find him.

  • Autonomous Research Assistants:
    • AI "Agents" will act as virtual genealogists. Rather than you manually searching database by database, you will give a prompt: "Find the parents of Mary Taylor born in Ohio around 1810." The AI will then crawl multiple archives, apply the Genealogical Proof Standard, cite its sources, and present a reasoned hypothesis for your review.

  • Real-Time Multilingual Translation:
    • For those with non-English ancestry, AI will provide simultaneous translation of records. A researcher will be able to look at a 17th-century Latin parish register or a 19th-century German Fraktur script and see a high-accuracy, translated overlay in real-time.

2. Immersive Family History Stories

Storytelling is shifting from text-heavy books to multimedia experiences that make the past feel "alive."

  • Generative Audio & Video Narratives:
    • Tools like Ancestry’s "AI Stories" (already in beta) will become standard. By 2030, you won't just read a census record; you will listen to an AI-generated audio clip that weaves the dry facts of that record into a narrative, including historical context like the local weather on that day or the economic state of the ancestor's town.

  • Contextual "Social History" Layers:
    • AI will automatically "flesh out" trees with social history. If your ancestor was a coal miner in Scranton in 1890, the software will automatically embed period-accurate photos, newspaper headlines, and even maps of the specific mine they worked in, providing a "day in the life" perspective without you having to manually research the era.

  • Virtual Ancestral "Clones":
    • Using historical letters, diaries, and photos, AI will be able to recreate a "persona" of an ancestor. Within a VR environment, you could theoretically "sit down" with a digital representation of a great-great-grandparent who speaks in their native dialect and tells stories based on the actual documents you’ve uploaded.

3. Autosomal DNA Matching & Analysis

DNA analysis is moving away from "guessing" relationships and toward "calculating" exact placements in a tree.

  • Automated Cluster Visualization:
    • Features like Ancestry’s "Matches by Cluster" will become more granular. Instead of just seeing a list of names, users will see 3D-mapped networks of how their matches relate to one another. By 2027, AI will likely be able to automatically "auto-paint" your segments, telling you exactly which ancestor a specific piece of DNA came from without you needing to do manual chromosome mapping.

  • Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) for Consumers:
    • As the cost of Whole Genome Sequencing drops, autosomal tests will become more detailed. Instead of looking at 700,000 SNPs, tests will look at millions, allowing for the detection of "micro-segments" that can accurately link you to ancestors 8–10 generations back, a feat currently difficult due to DNA recombination.

  • Predictive Tree Building via DNA:
    • AI will use "Triangulation Automation" to look at your DNA matches and their trees to predict your missing ancestors. If four of your matches all share a common 3rd-great-grandfather you don't have in your tree, the system will automatically "plug" that person into your tree as a hypothesis, along with the supporting evidence. 

Comparison of Current vs. 2030 Capabilities

FeatureCurrent State (2025)Expected State (2030)
SearchKeyword-based on indexed fields.Semantic search (searching by meaning/context).
TranslationManual or basic Google Translate.Real-time, context-aware paleography (old script) translation.
DNA MatchesLists of cousins with "estimated" relation.Automated 3D clusters with predicted tree placement.
StoriesStatic photos and text biographies.AI-narrated audio and "living" video avatars.

Prompt: What advanced technologies will Ancestry.com, FamilySearch. org and MyHeritage.com provide?

The "Big Three" of genealogy—Ancestry, FamilySearch, and MyHeritage—are currently in a technological arms race, moving beyond being mere "libraries" to becoming active AI research partners.

By 2030, you can expect these platforms to provide the following specific advanced technologies:

1. Ancestry.com: The "Contextual Narrator"

Ancestry is focusing on Storytelling AI and Precision Genomics.(1) They aim to turn dry records into "living" family narratives.(1)
  • AI Stories (9.8 Billion Records):(1) Ancestry has already begun rolling out AI that "reads" a document (like a 1920 Census) and automatically writes a narrative paragraph explaining what that record meant for your ancestor's life. Expect this to expand into full-length, AI-generated biographies.
  • Hyper-Local Ethnicity (3,600+ Regions):(2) Leveraging their massive database, Ancestry is moving toward "Micro-Regions." Instead of just "Southern Italy," you will see specific villages or valleys, with AI-driven "Journey" maps showing the exact migration routes your specific branch took.
  • Face Match & Photo Curation: Following their acquisition of iMemories, Ancestry is integrating AI that can scan all public photos on the site to find "possible matches" for your ancestors based on facial recognition, helping you put a face to a name that was previously just text.

2. FamilySearch.org: The "Global Decoder"

As a non-profit, FamilySearch is leading the charge in AI Handwriting Recognition and Oral Genealogy, aiming to make the world’s unreadable records searchable for free.(3) 
  • Full-Text Search (Labs): This is a game-changer.(4) Currently, you search for "Names." In the next few years, FamilySearch will allow you to search the entire text of a document.(5) You can search for "stolen cow" or "blacksmith" or "land adjacent to the river," and the AI will find those specific words in handwritten 18th-century deeds.
  • Computer-Assisted Indexing: FamilySearch’s AI now processes records in seconds that used to take human volunteers years. They are expanding this to non-Latin scripts (like Cyrillic, Chinese, and Arabic), effectively "unlocking" archives in countries that were previously inaccessible to Western researchers.
  • Oral Genealogy Digitization: In Africa and other cultures with oral traditions, FamilySearch is using AI to transcribe and index thousands of hours of interviews with tribal elders, turning spoken lineages into searchable family tree data.(6)

3. MyHeritage.com: The "Visual & Genetic Innovator"

MyHeritage often leads in "wow-factor" technology, focusing on AI Media Manipulation and Advanced DNA Mathematics.(7)
  • LiveMemory™ & Deep Nostalgia™: MyHeritage is moving from animating faces to animating entire scenes.(8) Son, you will be able to turn a static family photo into a 5-second video clip where people move naturally within the environment of the old photo.
  • Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS): MyHeritage is shifting toward WGS for its DNA kits.(11) This provides significantly more data than standard autosomal tests, allowing for the Theory of Family Relativity™ to become 44% more accurate—effectively "solving" your DNA matches by building the bridge between you and a cousin automatically.(9)
  • Cousin Finder & Global Proximity: Expect new tools that use "Privacy-First" geolocation to alert you (with consent) when you are physically near a DNA cousin or a historical site significant to your shared ancestors.

Summary Table: Key Tech Focus (2025–2030)

FeatureAncestry.comFamilySearch.orgMyHeritage.com
Primary AI FocusNarrative storytelling & Bio-writingHandwriting recognition & Full-text searchPhoto animation & "Living" memories
DNA GoalMicro-regional migration pathsDNA Education (linking to records)Relationship "Theories" via WGS
User Experience"Personal Genomics" (Health + Heritage)Collaborative "Family Groups""Instant Discoveries" (one-click tree growth)

Sources

(1) Ancestry (www.ancestry.com)

Looking Back on 2025: A Year of Growth, Discovery, and Innovation at Ancestry

We see AI as a powerful way to enhance discovery and storytelling, and this year we introduced new AI-enabled features that do exactly that. Some include: AI ...

(2) Ancestry (www.ancestry.com)

Looking Back on 2025: A Year of Growth, Discovery, and Innovation at Ancestry

In 2025, we also delivered our largest ethnicity update ever, adding 68 new ancestral regions and hundreds of ancestral journeys that enable AncestryDNA ...

(3) Meridian Magazine (latterdaysaintmag.com)

FamilySearch Improvements Coming in 2025 - Meridian Magazine

They will also publish millions of oral genealogies—all searchable. FamilySearch Artificial Intelligence. FamilySearch will use artificial intelligence (AI) ...

(4) Family History Fanatics (www.familyhistoryfanatics.com)

The Rise of AI for Genealogy: An Overview - Family History Fanatics

A.I. and FamilySearch by Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen (May 2024) Using the FamilySearch Full Text Search Feature-A Genealogical Goldmine by BYU Family ...

(5) FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org)

What to Expect from FamilySearch in 2025

Leveraging its state-of-the-art AI-powered handwriting recognition technology, FamilySearch can convert an image of historical text into a machine-readable ...

(6) FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org)

What to Expect from FamilySearch in 2025

Using FamilySearch's Family Tree and search technology, we have built searchable family tree databases from the gathered oral genealogies. These genealogies ...

(7) Google Play (play.google.com)  

MyHeritage: Family Tree & DNA - Apps on Google Play

Our AI video generator creates animated memories that bring photos to life. Share on social media and amaze your family and friends!

(8) Google Play (play.google.com)  

MyHeritage: Family Tree & DNA - Apps on Google Play

Make your memories come to life as AI-powered videos with LiveMemory™! Turn photos into video clips with AI-powered photo animation and relive your favorite ...

(9) YouTube (www.youtube.com)  

MyHeritage Just Got a Major DNA Upgrade! | 2025 Update Every Genealogist Should Know

MyHeritage Just Got a Major DNA Upgrade! | 2025 Update Every Genealogist Should Know MyHeritage has just released one of its biggest DNA updates yet! In this ...

======================================

The Google NotebookLM Video Overview of this post is: 

I asked the same question last year of Perplexity in Ask Reasoning AI: Using Perplexity's Sonar-Reasoning To Ask "What Technology Improvements In Genealogy ... Are Expected In the Next 5 Years?" on 31 January 2025. 

I am not overly impressed with this answer, or any of the other answers by the LLMs.  Of course, the LLMs can only use the available resources in the pretrained material (which is pretty useless for this query now) or resources it can find online (as of some date, perhaps questionable as to ocmpleteness), or hallucinate about the response.  

Most of the sources for the three websites are from articles predicting technology improvements in 2025.  

It would be interesting to see if the answers would be similaqr using the Gemini 3 Pro AI tool.

==============================================

Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page.  Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver


Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, so they may not appear immediately.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.





Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,

Monday, December 29, 2025

MyHeritageDNA Introduces DNA Traits

I received this information from Daniel Horowitz of MyHeritage today:

==========================================

As you know, we love to save at least one big announcement for the end of the year, and 2025 is no exception. Meet MyHeritage DNA Traits, a fascinating new product that reveals how your genetics may influence characteristics such as food preferences, sleep habits, personality tendencies, fitness traits, and cognitive patterns. MyHeritage DNA Traits includes 40 personalized reports that are beautifully designed, easy to understand, and backed by scientific research.

Check out the launch video to discover what MyHeritage DNA Traits could reveal, and please spread the word far and wide! Feel free to use the graphic below, and read on for more details.
Introducing MyHeritage DNA Traits

The 40 reports are organized into five categories: Personality, Nutrition, Fitness, Lifestyle, and Cognition. They are available to anyone with DNA results on MyHeritage, including those who uploaded their DNA files in the past, and no new test is required.

Traits is available for an affordable introductory price of $19 (one-time fee). In addition, we already have 15 new Trait reports planned, and a Traits subscription is available to unlock new reports as they are released, for all DNA kits that you manage. For a limited time, the Traits subscription is FREE for the first 12 months, which is especially valuable for anyone who manages multiple kits.

Read the full announcement and see sample reports in the blog post.

==========================================

Disclosure: I receive a complimentary Complete subscription to MyHeritage, and have received other material considerations in past years. I uploaded my autosomal DNA raw data to their DNA product. This does not affect my objective analysis of MyHeritage products. I am a paid subscriber to Family Tree Webinars and love it.

The URL for this post is: 

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, so they may not appear immediately.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)