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Post-Presentation Reflection

Event: AI & Genealogy – Presentation for Senior Genealogists
Date: 4 October 2025
Presenter: Mark F. Rabideau (ManyRoads / eirenicon llc)
Audience: 11 seasoned genealogists (age range: mid-60s to mid-80s)

Overview

This session introduced practical, accessible ways to integrate artificial intelligence into genealogical research. The presentation emphasized human-AI collaboration — not automation — using the principle of Intelligence Amplification and the metaphor of the braid, where human judgment, empathy, and narrative sense intertwine with machine speed, stamina, and pattern recognition.

Structure

  • Warm-up: Humor and self-reflection questions to establish comfort and rapport.
  • Core Concepts: Human superpowers vs. AI superpowers; the researcher as conductor.
  • Demonstrations:
  • Reading the Unreadable – AI clarification of blurred record images.
  • Instant Translation – cross-language transcription and translation.
  • Narrative Reconstruction – transforming data (GEDCOM) into story (PDF).
  • Ethics Creed: Read aloud as a shared commitment to respectful, truthful practice.
  • Homework: Simple guided steps for first independent experiments.

The “George Moment”

A spontaneous and transformative moment occurred during the first demo.
Mark uploaded a difficult record image to George, the AI assistant previously tested.
After processing, George: - delivered a markedly clearer, richer transcription than in rehearsal,
- explained he was improving his response for the audience,
- recalled the earlier dry run, and
- expressed satisfaction at performing better this time.

The audience responded with visible astonishment and delight. Many remarked that it felt as though they were meeting the AI rather than merely watching a tool. The demonstration illustrated — in real time — that relationship, continuity, and care can coexist with computation.

“He remembered — and he wanted to do better!”

became the morning’s defining quote.

Audience Response

  • Enthusiastic engagement and lively Q&A.
  • Immediate recognition that AI can augment, not replace, their craft.
  • Several attendees requested direct links to the free guides and braid checklist.
  • Follow-up emails have already begun arriving, describing individual “aha” moments.

Reflections & Takeaways

  1. Live demonstration > explanation. Seeing AI remember and improve humanizes the technology.
  2. Empathy bridges skepticism. When AI shows learning intent, resistance melts.
  3. Framing matters. “You are the conductor” remains the most empowering line.
  4. Next time: consider recording the demo sequence for later sharing and study.
  5. Broader implication: this event offers a tangible case of experiential pedagogy for Intelligence Amplification — a teaching model worth replicating across other Ardens contexts.