Transcribe Records in Minutes Using ChatGPT: Two Super Easy Methods

AI can extract key details from your old genealogy records, so you have every valuable detail prior to writing.

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Special invitation: This Friday 6:30pm eastern, I’m live-streaming on YouTube about RootsTech and using AI to take notes, and organize notes you already have. You can join the session live or watch the recording. Bring any questions you have about AI and RootsTech - hope to see you there!

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When writing family history, I want to have every possible detail in my outline before I start writing.

The problem? These details are buried in the genealogy records I’ve collected. In the past I had to open each one and type out everything I saw into my research notes.

But what if I told you there's an easy way to transcribe the records you’ve gathered and extract all those valuable details?

I’ll guide you through two different processes I’ve used with ChatGPT that will revolutionize your transcription workflow.

Why Use ChatGPT for Family History?

Before I get into the methods, let’s talk about why ChatGPT is ideal. ChatGPT is a Large Language Model (LLM) and it excels at handling tasks focused on speaking and writing. Using it can feel like having the personal assistant you always wished you had.

• Quick and Accurate Transcriptions: Convert typed or handwritten text into digital form in seconds to minutes.

• Customizable Organization: Reorganize transcribed data into formats like alphabetical lists, locations, or family relationships.

• Flexible Input: Use text, images, or voice to capture and process records.

• Enhanced Accessibility: Work from anywhere using your mobile phone and get instant digital copies of transcribed records.

Method 1: Straightforward Text Transcription

This method is all about taking existing text and using ChatGPT to transcribe and organize it for your writing outline.

Option 1: Highlight and Copy Typed Text

Simply highlight the text you want to include and paste it into the ChatGPT message box.

Option 2: Upload a Document or Image of Text

If you have a typed document, research notes, or newspaper clippings, upload them using the ‘+’ button in ChatGPT.

For newspaper articles and obituaries, take a screenshot or clip the section and upload it as an image. Prompt ChatGPT to transcribe the entire article, ensuring accuracy.

Then, ask ChatGPT to extract relevant details for your outline. You can also request reorganization into a more usable format, such as:

• Alphabetical listing of names

• Grouping by street address

• Identifying relationships between individuals

Example in Action

I demonstrate transcribing details from the newspaper using ChatGPT’s image-to-text in this video at the 1:30 mark:

Method 2: Handwritten Documents

Transcribing typed documents is one thing, but what about handwritten records or mixed-format documents?