Audio & Infographic Video
One of the things I’ve come to appreciate about using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in genealogy is how it can highlight details I might otherwise overlook.
I recently took the narrative report for Sarah Ellen (Ralston) Hammond—a document filled with carefully researched facts, dates, and places—and uploaded it into Google Notebook LM to see what it might reveal.
The result? A completely new way of experiencing her story.
From Narrative to Audio
Using Notebook LM, I generated an audio overview of Sarah’s life.
Hearing her story spoken aloud brings a different perspective. The timeline feels more connected. The movement from Pennsylvania to Illinois, then Iowa, and finally Kansas becomes more than a list of locations—it becomes a journey.
Details that might blend together on the page stand out when heard:
- A young girl moving west with her family
- A marriage beginning on New Year’s Day
- A large family raised across multiple states
- Years of illness endured with faith
It’s the same information—but experienced differently.
Visualizing the Story
In addition to the audio, Notebook LM also created an infographic summarizing key elements of Sarah’s life.
The infographic distills her story into a visual format:
- Major life events
- Geographic movement
- Family connections
It’s a quick way to grasp the overall arc of her life—something that complements the deeper detail found in the narrative report.
Bringing It Together in Video Form
To combine these elements, I used Canva to create a simple video:
- The audio overview provides the narrative
- The infographic provides the visual anchor
Together, they create a short presentation that tells Sarah’s story in a format that is easy to share with family members who may not read a full written biography.
Sarah Ellen (Ralston) Hammond – Audio & Infographic Video
Why This Approach Works
As genealogists, we often work in text—documents, reports, transcriptions. But not everyone connects with written material in the same way.
This approach offers another option:
- Audio for those who prefer listening
- Visuals for those who like quick summaries
- Video for easy sharing
It doesn’t replace traditional research or writing—but it enhances how we present and share our findings.
Final Thoughts
What I find most interesting about this process is that it doesn’t add new information—it simply presents the existing research in a new way.
And sometimes, that new perspective is enough to see an ancestor’s life more clearly.
For Sarah, it’s another step in telling her story—not just as a series of facts, but as a life that unfolded across time and place.