Recent Real-World Impact: AI Helping Trace Histories Lost to Slavery
Genealogy platforms Ancestry.com and Enslaved.org (hosted by Michigan State University) are expanding their archives of historical records related to enslaved individuals—thanks in part to AI-driven indexing and search tools. These datasets allow descendants to uncover family connections and hidden personal histories.
“Websites expand ancestry records of enslaved people,” Axios, June 19, 2025. Axios
“MSU project documenting enslaved individuals publishes latest data of Black Americans born before emancipation,” MSU Today, June 16, 2025. Michigan State University
“Ancestry.com is using AI to make a searchable database for Black family trees,” Fast Company, June 11, 2024.
South Central Chapter, Association of Professional Genealogists 