Artificial Intelligence

Are you playing with AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools?

While I may not delve into AI as extensively as Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings (do check out his AI related posts), I’ve certainly been experimenting. In fact, I’m integrating these tools into my daily research and writing activities.

One tool I’ve been using isn’t a widely recognized AI engine, but it uses AI to create content. That ‘tool’ is FamilySearch’s new experimental lab, which not only indexes but also transcribes and now summarizes images of deeds and wills in their collection. You can access this tool on their Experimental Labs page by looking for ‘Expand your search with Full Text’ and clicking on ‘Go to Experiment’. [Refer to my my earlier post for tips on using this site.]

Another favorite tool of mine is the Sider extension for Chrome. With this extension, I can drag an image of a newspaper clipping and have it extract the text. Despite occasional errors, the speed and accuracy with which it transcribes these old newspaper articles is a significant time-saver. [AI and Images]

After learning more about the ‘behind the scenes’ workings of my blog, I started using ChatGPT to write meta descriptions for my posts. While these summaries can sometimes be a bit ‘flowery,’ they are always an improvement over what I would write.

I’ve also begun using ChatGPT to summarize groups of newspaper clippings. My favorite example is ChatGPT’s summary of articles about the Nemaha County sheriff’s residence and jail from 1870-1960. Another notable instance is its summarization of the specifications for the 1879 jail and sheriff’s residence.

I teerms of writing, ChatGPT has been invaluable. Inspired by Randy Seaver’s AI generated poems, I provided ChatGPT with information about my great-great grandfather Washington Marion Crawford’s, military service and asked it to write a poem. This ancestor had written a poem about his time in the military, making it a fitting tribute.

More recently, I asked ChatGPT to take the articles I had collected about a Purple Heart recipient and create a children’s story. I then used ElevenLabs to convert that story to audio.

ChatGPT has also helped explain legal terms found in old deeds, greatly assisting me in utilizing these documents.

For historical research, my favorite tool is Perplexity [Perplexed but Learning]. Recently, I asked Perplexity about the ‘luggage’ that emigrants would bring with them. I appreciate that Perplexity not only answers the question but also provides the sources for its information.

What kind of luggage did emigrants from Germany bring with them when traveling steerage in 1901?

Based on the search results and historical context, emigrants traveling in steerage from Germany in 1901 would have typically brought the following types of luggage:

1. Small trunks or chests: These were sturdy, often wooden containers reinforced with metal corners and strapping. By 1901, some trunks were made entirely of sheet metal[4].

2. Suitcases: These were becoming more common for travel by the turn of the 20th century.

3. Cloth bundles: Simple and inexpensive way to carry belongings.

4. Small bags: Easy to carry and manage during the journey.

5. Wicker baskets or hampers: Used for carrying various items, including food.

The luggage would have been relatively modest in size and quantity, as steerage passengers had limited space[1][4]. Emigrants often had to make difficult choices about what to bring, focusing on essential items such as:

– Clothing and linens

– Small kitchen utensils

– Basic tools

– Family mementos or valuables

– Some food for the journey

It’s important to note that many emigrants, especially those traveling in steerage, would have had to sell or leave behind larger items like furniture due to space constraints and the cost of transport[4]. The goal was to travel as light as possible while bringing the most essential and valuable possessions.

Emigrants often packed their belongings with great care, as these items represented their entire material wealth and would be crucial for starting their new lives in America. The luggage itself was not only functional but also symbolic, often described as being “packed with hope”[5].

Citations:

[1] https://gahc.omeka.net/items/show/32

[2] https://www.nber.org/system/files/chapters/c5114/c5114.pdf

[3] https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Germany_Emigration_and_Immigration

[4] https://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/tresors/immigration/imf0900e.html

[5] https://byemyself.com/migration-from-north-german-ports-to-the-americas/

I love using these tools! However, I am concerned about their impact on education. As a former teacher, I know students will inevitably find and use these tools for research and writing assignments. In some cases, they may even ask ChatGPT or another AI tool to do an assignment for them. Is this ‘cheating’ or is it a valid use of resources? Educators, parents and students will need to navigate this quickly.

On the other hand, I believe students need to be taught how to use these tools. While still in development AI tools will impact the workplace. By helping high school students learn to effectively use these tools now, they will be equipped for the workplace of the future.