AI Conundrum

When reviewing some of my history pages, seeing pages that have been found by those apparently making searches, I am concerned that the pages found were less than helpful. Helpful in relation to the furthering of knowledge and factual information.

In many cases my pages, particularly those related to the history of Belchamp Walter, I started off with recording the family names that I had found in Thomas Wright's history of Essex from 1831/36. Since that time I have found much more information and have revealed that some of his observations were either wrong or highly influenced by his contemporaries.

The collation of genetic data is not new. Information from history books was a start and the increased interest in individuals attempting to determine their own family history has added to this quest.

The desire to trace your ancestry back to someone famous has become big business. I am not sure that the application of Artificial Intelligence to this is a good thing.

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DNA sequencing

The analysis of DNA data only really started in recent times, 1977 saw Fredarick Sanger develop a process that is probably the most commonly known when this subject is discussed.

The addition of DNA services to Family Tree software programs has significantly increased the risks that genetic information and the relationships between families in potentially misused.

At the time of writing the Wikipedia page said:

DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. The advent of rapid DNA sequencing methods has greatly accelerated biological and medical research and discovery.

Genetic data

The advancements in DNA sequencing technology have made it possible to analyze and compare large amounts of genetic data quickly and accurately, allowing investigators to gather evidence and solve crimes more efficiently. This technology has been used in various applications, including forensic identification, paternity testing, and human identification in cases where traditional identification methods are unavailable or unreliable. The use of DNA sequencing has also led to the development of new forensic techniques, such as DNA phenotyping, which allows investigators to predict an individual's physical characteristics based on their genetic data.

Ethical and legal considerations

Furthermore, the use of DNA sequencing has also raised important ethical and legal considerations. For example, there are concerns about the privacy and security of genetic data, as well as the potential for misuse or discrimination based on genetic information. As a result, there are ongoing debates about the need for regulations and guidelines to ensure the responsible use of DNA sequencing technology.

AI Conundrum

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