My Journey with AI: Chat GPT

Image created by ChatGPT

Chat GPT was one of the first AI platforms to arrive on the scene. It was made by Open AI, has been improved many times since 2018. Chat GPT started with GPT1, and today it is up to GPT5. 

It is highly versatile for writing, coding, and document analysis. ChatGPT is best for all-purpose brainstorming, writing, and logic-based tasks. The key to using any AI platform is the prompt. 

If you use a simple prompt, the results are iffy at best.

"Please transcribe this document" 

Adding additional instructions as in this prompt will yield a better output.

 "You are a professional transcriptionist and Genealogist, versed in the GPS (Genealogical Proof Standards). Using those standards, transcribe the attached document, exactly as written with no substitutions or made up words" 

I currently have a 911 word prompt I use for transcriptions, and it is averaging between 93 to 98 % accuracy, based on the WER formula (Word Error Rate).  I am still testing various transcriptions, to fine tune the prompt.  I also recommend testing all four of the major AI platforms (Chat GPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity) to see what results from each platform.

We really need to tell AI four things:

their role : a professional genealogist, an editor, a graphic artist

the context: give some back ground information, names, dates, places, 

the job: what is it you want AI to do?

the Format: how do you want the output to be displayed? in a table, in a written report, as an infographic? Formal or informal writing?

Hallucination check: at a minimum ask for AI to provide sources and then CHECK those sources. 

 Usage Examples: 

• Drafting emails, 
• brainstorming creative ideas, 
• coding assistance,
• analyzing documents.

Features: 

• Chatbot customization
• Code generation
• Creative writing
• Data analysis
• Image generation
• Summarizing
• Text generation and editing 
• Translation

I have personally used Chat GPT to 

• generate complex MS Excel formulas for some spreadsheets
• assisting on a resume, (before I retired)
• Fixing the html coding on my blog
• Creating certificates or infographics 

Linda