Our Approach to Responsible AI in Genealogy

Last Updated: November 30, 2025

Rooted History uses Anthropic's Claude to turn verified FamilySearch facts into vivid, historically grounded narratives about your deceased ancestors.

This page is not legalese (see our Terms §7 for the legal disclaimer). It's simply the truth about what our AI does, what it doesn't do, and how to use it wisely.

What the AI Actually Does

1. Takes only the facts already in your FamilySearch tree (names, dates, places, relationships, sources).

2. Adds researched historical context for that exact time and place.

3. Writes a dignified, readable story via Claude.

→ Think of FamilySearch as the skeleton and us as the storyteller who adds muscle and clothing. We never invent new facts or do original research.

What the AI Never Does

Discover new records or people
Verify or correct your tree
Claim something happened unless it's in your sourced FamilySearch data
Generate stories about living people

Garbage in → garbage out. The story can only be as good as your tree.

Facts vs. Context (How We Keep It Honest)

Bold text = direct, sourced facts from FamilySearch
Regular text = historical context ("what life was typically like")
We use careful language: "likely experienced," "would have known," "common in that era"

We never say "John definitely sailed on the Mayflower" unless your tree explicitly says it.

Difficult History

We name tragedies by their real names: famine, slavery, genocide, ethnic cleansing, forced displacement.

We refuse euphemisms, victim-blaming, or sanitisation. If the history is painful, the story will reflect that with respect and clarity.

Known AI Limitations

Even the best models can:

Occasionally hallucinate minor details
Generalise regional history too broadly
Miss nuance in very obscure periods/places

We run every story through multiple validation passes and bold only verifiable facts, but the technology is not perfect.

Your Responsibilities (Please Read This Bit)

1. Double-check your FamilySearch data before generating stories.

2. Treat bold text as reliable; treat everything else as educated context.

3. Verify anything important with primary sources before using it formally.

4. Tell us immediately (support@rootedhistory.io) if something feels wrong — we review every report and fix systemic issues.

Investigations Tool

Our separate "Investigations" feature scans your tree for patterns, conflicts, and research leads. It is explicitly a hint generator, not a conclusive answer. Always verify its suggestions.

Bottom Line

These stories are powerful tools for feeling your family's past and sharing it with loved ones.

They are not primary research, academic papers, or legal documents.

Used with the understanding above, they honour both historical truth and your ancestors' memory.

Questions, concerns, or spot something off?

→ support@rootedhistory.io

Rooted History – making family history feel real, responsibly.