Ancestry Leverages AI for Deeper Family History Discoveries

Online genealogy company Ancestry, which also operates Newspapers.com and Find A Grave, is deepening its use of artificial intelligence (AI) to explore family histories. The company is applying its AI expertise, accumulated over decades, in combination with human expertise to find new, previously hidden connections within users' family lines.

Kyle Miller, VP of product at Ancestry, shared how the company's AI tools revealed a personal connection to his past. By connecting various family records and newspaper articles, AI uncovered that the building where he married his wife in Provo, Utah, was originally constructed by his great-grandfather. Miller had witnessed the building burn down in his youth.

The company has been investing in AI for over a decade, focusing on integrating it into its platform to help users find and understand their family history more deeply. This approach has allowed Ancestry to balance technological and human collaboration, unlike some other companies that have faced challenges in AI adoption.

A team of historians, led by Lisa Pearl, actively engages with archives, historical societies, and libraries to locate materials of genealogical value. Their task involves digitizing these collections, often at the company's expense, and making them searchable. In 2021, Ancestry added 800 million new records to its platform, and by 2023, the annual growth had reached 18.6 billion records. AI tools are streamlining the review of these over 70 billion records and enabling the discovery of new connections.

According to Miller, AI is significantly accelerating and reducing the cost of reading old, difficult-to-decipher handwriting and linking information. This enables the creation of more accurate recommendation systems for users. Looking ahead, AI is expected to uncover even more data and insights from historical materials, bringing color and detail to the stories of ancestors.