EP27: AI Image Restoration Concerns, Perplexity's Future, Copyright Cases Are Shaping The Future of AI, Project Workspaces Help You Stay Organized

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little examine the controversial rise of AI image "restoration" and discuss how entirely new images are being generated, rather than the original photos being restored. This is raising concerns about the preservation of authentic family photos.They discuss Mark's reconsideration of canceling his Perplexity subscription after rediscovering its unique strengths for supporting research.The hosts analyze recent court rulings that permit AI training on legally acquired content, plus Disney's ongoing case against Midjourney.This week's Tip of the Week explores how project workspaces in ChatGPT and Claude can greatly simplify your genealogical research.In RapidFire, the hosts cover Meta's aggressive AI hiring spree, the proliferation of AI tools in everyday software, including a new genealogy transcription tool from Dan Maloney, and the importance of reading AI news critically.Timestamps:In the News:06:50 The Pros and Cons of "Restoring" Family Photos with AI23:58 Mark is Cancelling Perplexity... Maybe32:33 AI Copyright Cases Are Starting to Work Their Way Through the CourtsTip of the Week:40:09 How Project Workspaces Help Genealogists Stay OrganizedRapidFire:48:51 Meta Goes on a Hiring Spree56:09 AI Is Everywhere!01:06:00 Reading AI News ResponsiblyResource LinksOpenAI: Introducing 4o Image Generation https://openai.com/index/introducing-4o-image-generation/Perplexity https://www.perplexity.ai/How does Perplexity work? https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/10352895-how-does-perplexity-workAnthropic wins key US ruling on AI training in authors' copyright lawsuit https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/anthropic-wins-key-ruling-ai-authors-copyright-lawsuit-2025-06-24/Meta wins AI copyright lawsuit as US judge rules against authors https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jun/26/meta-wins-ai-copyright-lawsuit-as-us-judge-rules-against-authorsDisney, Universal sue image creator Midjourney for copyright infringement https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/disney-universal-sue-image-creator-midjourney-copyright-infringement-2025-06-11/Disney and Universal Sue A.I. Firm for Copyright Infringement https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/11/business/media/disney-universal-midjourney-ai.htmlProjects in ChatGPThttps://help.openai.com/en/articles/10169521-projects-in-chatgptMeta shares hit all-time high as Mark Zuckerberg goes on AI hiring blitz https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/30/meta-hits-all-time-mark-zuckerberg-ai-blitz.htmlHere's What Mark Zuckerberg Is Offering Top AI Talent https://www.wired.com/story/mark-zuckerberg-meta-offer-top-ai-talent-300-million/Genealogy Assistant AI Handwritten Text Recognition Tool https://www.genea.ca/htr-tool/Borland Genetics https://borlandgenetics.com/Illusion of Thinking https://machinelearning.apple.com/research/illusion-of-thinkingSimon Willison: Seven replies to the viral Apple reasoning paper -- and why they fall short https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/15/viral-apple-reasoning-paper/MIT: Your Brain on ChatGPT https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/your-brain-on-chatgpt/overview/MIT researchers say using ChatGPT can rot your brain. The truth is a little more complicated https://theconversation.com/mit-researchers-say-using-chatgpt-can-rot-your-brain-the-truth-is-a-little-more-complicated-259450Guiding Principles for Responsible AI in Genealogy https://craigen.org/TagsArtificial Intelligence, Genealogy, Family History, AI Tools, Image Generation, AI Ethics, Perplexity, ChatGPT, Claude, Meta, Copyright Law, AI Training, Photo Restoration, Project Management, AI Development, Research Tools, Responsible AI Use, GRIP, AI News Analysis, Vibe Coding, Coalition for Responsible AI in Genealogy, AI Hiring, Dan Maloney, Handwritten Text Recognition