Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little examine the major AI model upgrades released over the winter, comparing Anthropic's Opus 4.6, OpenAI's GPT 5.4, and Google's Gemini 3.1 Pro and their benefits for genealogists.
In a special interview recorded at RootsTech 2026, they sit down with Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer of Family Locket to explore how the Research Like a Pro methodology integrates with AI tools for transcription, locality research, and DNA analysis.
In RapidFire, they cover FamilySearch's new Simple Search interface for Full-Text Search, Ancestry's AI Stories feature for understanding historical records, and the escalating conflict between Anthropic and the U.S. federal government over the use of AI by the military.
Timestamps:
In the News:
03:12 New AI Model Releases: Opus 4.6, GPT 5.4, and Gemini 3.1 Pro Transform Genealogy
Interview
19:40 Interview with Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer: Research Like a Pro Meets AI
RapidFire:
44:05 FamilySearch Simple Search: Natural Language Meets Full-Text Search
48:24 Ancestry AI Stories: Understanding Historical Records with AI
53:00 Anthropic vs. U.S. Government: AI Ethics Battle Elevates Claude
Resource Links:
New Models
Introducing GPT5.4
https://openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-5-4/
Anthropic releases Opus 4.6
https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/05/anthropic-releases-opus-4-6-with-new-agent-teams/
Anthropic releases Claude Sonnet 4.6
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/17/anthropic-ai-claude-sonnet-4-6-default-free-pro.html
Gemini 3.1 Pro
https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/gemini-models/gemini-3-1-pro/
Interview with Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer from Family Locket
About Diana Elder and Nicole Elder Dyer
https://familylocket.com/about-us/
Simple Search for Family Search Full Text Search
How do I use Fulltext Search?
https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-use-fulltext-search
Ancestry AI Stories
Ancestry Brings Family History to Life with New AI-Powered Stories
https://www.ancestry.ca/corporate/blog/ancestry-brings-family-history-to-life-with-new-ai-powered-stori
Anthropic and the U.S. Government
Trump orders government to stop using Anthropic in battle over AI use
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn48jj3y8ezo
Anthropic CEO responds to Trump order, Pentagon clash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPTNHrq_4LU
Tags:
Artificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, AI Models, RootsTech, FamilySearch, Ancestry, Claude, ChatGPT, Google Gemini
