Steve Little
@digitalarchivst.bsky.social
AI Program Director, National Genealogical Society; Family History AI Show podcast; Founder: AIGenealogyInsights.com
Husband, Dad, birder, chess dilettante, film & TV fan, AI & genetic genealogist, Methodist pastor, photog, reader, writer, skygazer, NC, VA
Husband, Dad, birder, chess dilettante, film & TV fan, AI & genetic genealogist, Methodist pastor, photog, reader, writer, skygazer, NC, VA
Is AI boiling the oceans? The popular narrative is off by orders of magnitude. As Ethan Mollick warns, an "omnicausal anti-AI" coalition is forming — lumping every fear together and crowding out the nuanced policies we actually need. 🧵👇
February 7, 2026 at 12:04 AM
Is AI boiling the oceans? The popular narrative is off by orders of magnitude. As Ethan Mollick warns, an "omnicausal anti-AI" coalition is forming — lumping every fear together and crowding out the nuanced policies we actually need. 🧵👇
This is the strangest story you'll read all month.
It's not the birth of Skynet. But it may be the beginning of Facebook for Baby Skynet.
Since the AI Revolution kicked into third gear late last year, the pace of acceleration has been picking up.
It's not the birth of Skynet. But it may be the beginning of Facebook for Baby Skynet.
Since the AI Revolution kicked into third gear late last year, the pace of acceleration has been picking up.
January 31, 2026 at 9:43 PM
This is the strangest story you'll read all month.
It's not the birth of Skynet. But it may be the beginning of Facebook for Baby Skynet.
Since the AI Revolution kicked into third gear late last year, the pace of acceleration has been picking up.
It's not the birth of Skynet. But it may be the beginning of Facebook for Baby Skynet.
Since the AI Revolution kicked into third gear late last year, the pace of acceleration has been picking up.
NYT frame-by-frame: An agent removed a gun from Pretti's hip and took it from the scene. Then, "while Mr. Pretti is on his knees and restrained, the agent standing directly above him appears to fire one shot at Mr. Pretti at close range. He immediately fires three additional shots."
January 26, 2026 at 10:07 PM
NYT frame-by-frame: An agent removed a gun from Pretti's hip and took it from the scene. Then, "while Mr. Pretti is on his knees and restrained, the agent standing directly above him appears to fire one shot at Mr. Pretti at close range. He immediately fires three additional shots."
Alex Pretti. ICU Nurse.
23 seconds before he was shot, he was helping a woman stand up.
[Edited to correct caption.]
23 seconds before he was shot, he was helping a woman stand up.
[Edited to correct caption.]
January 26, 2026 at 6:21 PM
Alex Pretti. ICU Nurse.
23 seconds before he was shot, he was helping a woman stand up.
[Edited to correct caption.]
23 seconds before he was shot, he was helping a woman stand up.
[Edited to correct caption.]
DHS said Alex Pretti had "an intent to massacre."
The New York Times reviewed the video moment by moment:
• Phone in hand
• Helping a woman stand up
• Restrained by 7 agents
• Gun removed by 8th agent
• Shot 10 times in 5 seconds
Who had intent to massacre?
The New York Times reviewed the video moment by moment:
• Phone in hand
• Helping a woman stand up
• Restrained by 7 agents
• Gun removed by 8th agent
• Shot 10 times in 5 seconds
Who had intent to massacre?
January 26, 2026 at 3:19 PM
DHS said Alex Pretti had "an intent to massacre."
The New York Times reviewed the video moment by moment:
• Phone in hand
• Helping a woman stand up
• Restrained by 7 agents
• Gun removed by 8th agent
• Shot 10 times in 5 seconds
Who had intent to massacre?
The New York Times reviewed the video moment by moment:
• Phone in hand
• Helping a woman stand up
• Restrained by 7 agents
• Gun removed by 8th agent
• Shot 10 times in 5 seconds
Who had intent to massacre?
They took his gun.
Then they shot him ten times.
The video is public.
Gift link in first comment:
Then they shot him ten times.
The video is public.
Gift link in first comment:
January 26, 2026 at 1:04 PM
They took his gun.
Then they shot him ten times.
The video is public.
Gift link in first comment:
Then they shot him ten times.
The video is public.
Gift link in first comment:
Beyond ChatGPT: Anthropic's Claude is a serious contender for family history research. Start free at Claude•ai—but their ecosystem of products, features, and Loathsome Jargon gets messy fast. This map shows how it all fits together and where to start. —Steve Little, VibeGenealogy•ai
#genealogy
#genealogy
January 22, 2026 at 6:42 PM
Beyond ChatGPT: Anthropic's Claude is a serious contender for family history research. Start free at Claude•ai—but their ecosystem of products, features, and Loathsome Jargon gets messy fast. This map shows how it all fits together and where to start. —Steve Little, VibeGenealogy•ai
#genealogy
#genealogy
King's thermostat metaphor wasn't clever wordplay. It was a diagnosis. Witherspoon saw it in 1776. Bonhoeffer in 1942. King in 1963. The question for 2026: is your church setting the temperature—or just reflecting it? #MLKDay
January 19, 2026 at 7:47 PM
King's thermostat metaphor wasn't clever wordplay. It was a diagnosis. Witherspoon saw it in 1776. Bonhoeffer in 1942. King in 1963. The question for 2026: is your church setting the temperature—or just reflecting it? #MLKDay
Before Bonhoeffer, before King, a minister named Witherspoon saw the pattern: When good people hesitate, the moment rots and justice dies.
1776 · 1942 · 1963 · 2026
The only clergy signer. July 2nd he spoke; July 4th, a nation.
1776 · 1942 · 1963 · 2026
The only clergy signer. July 2nd he spoke; July 4th, a nation.
January 19, 2026 at 3:31 PM
Before Bonhoeffer, before King, a minister named Witherspoon saw the pattern: When good people hesitate, the moment rots and justice dies.
1776 · 1942 · 1963 · 2026
The only clergy signer. July 2nd he spoke; July 4th, a nation.
1776 · 1942 · 1963 · 2026
The only clergy signer. July 2nd he spoke; July 4th, a nation.
"We will see" is what they said in 1933 as neighbors vanished. What King heard in 1963 as moderates counseled patience. What too many say now. Silence is a side.
January 19, 2026 at 1:17 PM
"We will see" is what they said in 1933 as neighbors vanished. What King heard in 1963 as moderates counseled patience. What too many say now. Silence is a side.
OMG--danger Will Robinson! This totally works--I just built working versions of Omega Race and Lunar Lander as I remember this on my Commodore-64 and the arcade.
January 16, 2026 at 4:25 PM
OMG--danger Will Robinson! This totally works--I just built working versions of Omega Race and Lunar Lander as I remember this on my Commodore-64 and the arcade.
Fun Prompt Friday: Updated my GPS Research Assistant prompt to v8 (compact). Under 8K characters—works as a Claude instruction file, custom GPT, Gemini Gem, or pasted into any AI chat. Free to copy and use. #genealogy
January 16, 2026 at 2:57 PM
Fun Prompt Friday: Updated my GPS Research Assistant prompt to v8 (compact). Under 8K characters—works as a Claude instruction file, custom GPT, Gemini Gem, or pasted into any AI chat. Free to copy and use. #genealogy
"Joseph Little" on an 1897 marriage register. "Jethro Wilson Little" on a 1951 death certificate.
Same person? Claude noticed—and proved it. His wife of 54 years confirmed his full legal name.
Day 4 of 5: Your First Discovery.
Same person? Claude noticed—and proved it. His wife of 54 years confirmed his full legal name.
Day 4 of 5: Your First Discovery.
January 16, 2026 at 6:42 AM
"Joseph Little" on an 1897 marriage register. "Jethro Wilson Little" on a 1951 death certificate.
Same person? Claude noticed—and proved it. His wife of 54 years confirmed his full legal name.
Day 4 of 5: Your First Discovery.
Same person? Claude noticed—and proved it. His wife of 54 years confirmed his full legal name.
Day 4 of 5: Your First Discovery.
Remember configuring autoexec.bat? CLAUDE•md is your AI startup script.
One file tells Claude who you are, how you work, and what you expect—before you ask your first question.
Day 3 of 5: The file that makes Claude yours. 🧵
One file tells Claude who you are, how you work, and what you expect—before you ask your first question.
Day 3 of 5: The file that makes Claude yours. 🧵
January 15, 2026 at 1:57 AM
Remember configuring autoexec.bat? CLAUDE•md is your AI startup script.
One file tells Claude who you are, how you work, and what you expect—before you ask your first question.
Day 3 of 5: The file that makes Claude yours. 🧵
One file tells Claude who you are, how you work, and what you expect—before you ask your first question.
Day 3 of 5: The file that makes Claude yours. 🧵
Powerful tools need guardrails. Here's yours.
Day 2: Your Safe Sandbox.
The folder is the boundary. Everything outside doesn't exist to Claude. 🧵
Day 2: Your Safe Sandbox.
The folder is the boundary. Everything outside doesn't exist to Claude. 🧵
January 14, 2026 at 3:07 AM
Powerful tools need guardrails. Here's yours.
Day 2: Your Safe Sandbox.
The folder is the boundary. Everything outside doesn't exist to Claude. 🧵
Day 2: Your Safe Sandbox.
The folder is the boundary. Everything outside doesn't exist to Claude. 🧵
Anthropic announced Claude Cowork today—but it's rolling out slowly.
Power-users can access Claude Code NOW with Claude Desktop or the IDE extension.
Day 1 of 5: What if Claude worked IN your research folder?
Power-users can access Claude Code NOW with Claude Desktop or the IDE extension.
Day 1 of 5: What if Claude worked IN your research folder?
January 13, 2026 at 3:51 AM
Anthropic announced Claude Cowork today—but it's rolling out slowly.
Power-users can access Claude Code NOW with Claude Desktop or the IDE extension.
Day 1 of 5: What if Claude worked IN your research folder?
Power-users can access Claude Code NOW with Claude Desktop or the IDE extension.
Day 1 of 5: What if Claude worked IN your research folder?
I pointed Claude Code at 156 unsorted #genealogy images. It categorized them by record type, family group, timeline, geography, and research gaps — then built me an interactive dashboard to explore them.
This is one of two demos. The other is the network visualizer you're looking at.
This is one of two demos. The other is the network visualizer you're looking at.
January 10, 2026 at 5:16 PM
I pointed Claude Code at 156 unsorted #genealogy images. It categorized them by record type, family group, timeline, geography, and research gaps — then built me an interactive dashboard to explore them.
This is one of two demos. The other is the network visualizer you're looking at.
This is one of two demos. The other is the network visualizer you're looking at.
800 million people use AI tools every week. A tiny fraction are genealogists—but many work with the same raw materials we do.
Here's one example of what that looks like:
Here's one example of what that looks like:
January 5, 2026 at 1:23 PM
800 million people use AI tools every week. A tiny fraction are genealogists—but many work with the same raw materials we do.
Here's one example of what that looks like:
Here's one example of what that looks like:
Mollick isn't a tech-bro hype man—he's a balanced, well-informed voice. Here he faces a smart skeptic's hardest questions. Skeptics need balanced info—not denial, not magical thinking. Naiveté is no virtue when facing an uncertain future.
🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/5cFKDiGUKE1akJaNJyRwpV
🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/5cFKDiGUKE1akJaNJyRwpV
January 5, 2026 at 3:35 AM
Mollick isn't a tech-bro hype man—he's a balanced, well-informed voice. Here he faces a smart skeptic's hardest questions. Skeptics need balanced info—not denial, not magical thinking. Naiveté is no virtue when facing an uncertain future.
🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/5cFKDiGUKE1akJaNJyRwpV
🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/5cFKDiGUKE1akJaNJyRwpV
62 ancestors. 23 days. 200+ original records. One AI partner.
I documented six generations of my family in a December sprint—every link verified.
Here's what that #genealogy looks like.
I documented six generations of my family in a December sprint—every link verified.
Here's what that #genealogy looks like.
January 3, 2026 at 11:40 PM
62 ancestors. 23 days. 200+ original records. One AI partner.
I documented six generations of my family in a December sprint—every link verified.
Here's what that #genealogy looks like.
I documented six generations of my family in a December sprint—every link verified.
Here's what that #genealogy looks like.
Ten ancestors. One evening. Five families.
After a year teaching AI genealogy, I turned the tools on my tree. Built cases from census positions & marriage bonds. One death certificate did what 5 censuses couldn't—two names, parents proved, 80-yr mystery solved.
This is Vibe #Genealogy in practice.
After a year teaching AI genealogy, I turned the tools on my tree. Built cases from census positions & marriage bonds. One death certificate did what 5 censuses couldn't—two names, parents proved, 80-yr mystery solved.
This is Vibe #Genealogy in practice.
December 31, 2025 at 6:59 AM
Ten ancestors. One evening. Five families.
After a year teaching AI genealogy, I turned the tools on my tree. Built cases from census positions & marriage bonds. One death certificate did what 5 censuses couldn't—two names, parents proved, 80-yr mystery solved.
This is Vibe #Genealogy in practice.
After a year teaching AI genealogy, I turned the tools on my tree. Built cases from census positions & marriage bonds. One death certificate did what 5 censuses couldn't—two names, parents proved, 80-yr mystery solved.
This is Vibe #Genealogy in practice.
Mid-session last night, our AI hit its context limit. Too much data. We switched tools, resumed in 20 minutes, and documented nine ancestors by midnight.
That's not magic—it's knowing what to do when things break. New post on where AI #genealogy is heading (and who should care right now).
That's not magic—it's knowing what to do when things break. New post on where AI #genealogy is heading (and who should care right now).
December 30, 2025 at 5:38 AM
Mid-session last night, our AI hit its context limit. Too much data. We switched tools, resumed in 20 minutes, and documented nine ancestors by midnight.
That's not magic—it's knowing what to do when things break. New post on where AI #genealogy is heading (and who should care right now).
That's not magic—it's knowing what to do when things break. New post on where AI #genealogy is heading (and who should care right now).
Fun Prompt Friday: Census data overlays 3D images from 2D maps. Bonnie Bossert's ghost labels were the innovation. We added Sanborn maps for building accuracy. The result: 50 people in 5 addresses, San Francisco Chinatown, 1899. Names, ages, occupations—floating above the buildings where they lived.
December 28, 2025 at 12:37 AM
Fun Prompt Friday: Census data overlays 3D images from 2D maps. Bonnie Bossert's ghost labels were the innovation. We added Sanborn maps for building accuracy. The result: 50 people in 5 addresses, San Francisco Chinatown, 1899. Names, ages, occupations—floating above the buildings where they lived.
I presented this post to Claude Opus 4.5 without context; results:
December 26, 2025 at 2:15 AM
I presented this post to Claude Opus 4.5 without context; results: