FamilySearch AI summaries are a game changer

I recently uploaded a new video to the EasyGenie YouTube channel titled 5 things to know about Full-Text Search. One of the most important features mentioned in the video is also one of the easiest to overlook. It’s called AI Summaries, and I’m going to explain why it’s such a game-changer.

First, a brief overview of Full-Text Search. It’s an AI-powered approach to indexing and displaying FamilySearch’s extensive archive of free records. I’ve found it to be particularly effective at locating court records, probate files, and land transactions. 

Thanks to Full-Text Search, a process that used to require hours of searches and manual review of imperfectly catalogued collections, and then more time stumbling through the handwritten images, now takes minutes. You can see some use cases here.

FamilySearch announced Full-Text Search at RootsTech 2024. At first, it could only be found in FamilySearch Labs as engineers worked out the kinks. But over the summer, FamilySearch incorporated it into the regular site navigation, as shown below.

A critical element of improved indexing in Full-Text Search are AI-generated transcripts:

“Unlike traditional indexed searches, Full-Text Search scans the entire transcript of a record, allowing users to find matches in any part of the document. This capability is helping thousands of users uncover relatives and evidence about them in records they may never have considered before.”

The AI-generated transcripts are good, but a recently introduced feature takes things to another level. It’s the AI Summaries tool (sometimes shown as “summarize this document”), highlighted below:

Click on it, and a brief summary of the document in plain English is displayed. For legal documents, this is a godsend. Transcripts filled with boilerplate legalese and confusing references are now neatly summarized:

“This document records the probate of George Washington Miller’s last will, attested by Frederick Lampman on December 29, 1881, and official entry on January 5, 1882. The subsequent conveyance, dated April 11, 1882, details James Woolnough and his wife Rachel transferring land in Stamford Township, Welland County, Ontario, to their daughter, Sarah Alexana Woolnough.”

It also works for documents that were originally in another language, such as this 1891 document from Montréal. In addition to the English summary of the original French lease, it helpfully lists dates, names, and relationships:

FamilySearch’s AI summaries are a huge time saver. They allow any genealogist to quickly determine the contents of a document, and evaluate whether or not it’s relevant to the research at hand. As with any computer-generated summary or transcript, take the time to look at the original document to verify names and other facts.

Full-Text Search is completely free to use. You’ll need a FamilySearch registration (also free). Let us know about any special documents you unearth!