A.I. Rules for memories

@MandyShaw1 - yes, I did wonder what the FS policy said but considered that basic logic and accuracy should apply.

Apart from anything, images of "typical" workers might be useful, even if AI generated, while I'm not sure if there are commercially available routines that can automatically detect AI images. Definitely needs thinking about to see if there is any role for non-specific, non-portrait AI images.

@KristinaCOLEMAN2 couldn't agree more - surely Memories should be specifically linked to the individual as a person (as the name suggests) - if the person lived too long ago for genuine memories, pictures, or written information about them to exist, then it's not the end of the world if they have no tagged Memories (and spending the time on Sources instead would do the overall Tree more good, anyway).

Makes sense. It's still very much specific to the individual, though.

I also use Memories for Proof Statements in either PDF or JPG format. Specific to an individual or a small family group.

Maybe the Upload Guidelines should also state something like "Please do not Upload AI-generated photos because they are not real people, living or dead."😋 Unless, of course, you have a Source that complies with generally accepted genealogical guidelines

Re coats of arms: I apologise for shifting the topic but it's still slightly linked. I suspect that most people don't realise that in British heraldry, there is (almost) no such thing as a family coat of arms and that sites purporting to show you (even, sell you) the XYZ Family Coat of Arms are plain wrong.

Coats of Arms are given to individuals - it so happens that the eldest son will often end up using his father's arms, but it's not certain and they shouldn't be used by younger children - and even less should they be used by someone with the same surname.

The major, sort of exception, to the above is that Scottish crests can be be used by anyone with that surname - it is perfectly appropriate for me to use the Bruce crest, e.g. - but this only applies to the crest, not the rest of the arms.

Strictly, I would be within my rights to remove so-called family arms from non-entitled profiles but (a) life's too short, (b) people probably don't know this and (c) I'm not a member of the College of Heralds who do police these things.

"Apart from anything, images of "typical" workers might be useful, even if AI generated"

I'm not sure I agree here. AI doesn't actually know anything, it algorithmically predicts what it deems to be the most likely result based on pattern recognition and nothing more. If you ask it to generate a Viking, it will give you the Hollywood version, because that's what it's been trained to expect. There would be even more issues trying to get an image to represent a specific region or stricter time period, as the resources for that specific request may be scarce. AI can't root out which sources are real or fake, because it has no concept of reality. You would be much better off finding historical photos or recreations by genuine historians. It's harder, but if the image isn't accurate, then what's the point?

Thanks for all the comments.

My original question was not about the propriety of AI images but about the pictures I uploaded being completely deleted by another user. Could we discuss this first? I would then be very happy to explain the reasons for using AI to create portrait of individuals who lived hundreds oc years ago.

Please never post those images anywhere. Posting AI images of people is antithetical to genealogy. We are focused on fact-finding, not creating a fantasy world for entertainment. Did you at least include a citation for the AI used to create the image?

@Alan E. Brown@MandyShaw1

So to clarify the situation, the pictures have been deleted from the portrait and the memories section of the person concerned. They remain in my family search gallery. The deletion is logged showing who deleted them and when. (I reached out to the user concerned and explained the thinking behind the portraits and invited any comments or suggestions on them. I did not receive a reply But the user continued to delete additional portraits. Interestingly before this happened, another user warned me that the user concerned has been deleting memories from our relatives without any explanation.)

So again, my question is how is this happening? - I am unable to delete anyone else's memories.

Thank you all for your assistance with this,

Ian

@Alan E. Brown thank you for explaining that the images are being detached from the person's record.

@MandyShaw1@Adrian Bruce1 @Bonobo52@Gordon Collett @BraydenGraves @mayimagpie @AmberML1

Thank you all for your comments regarding uploading AI created period portraits. It is understandable that some may hesitate to accept AI portraits in genealogy, since they can feel artificial or speculative. Yet it is worth remembering that many historical portraits were not exact likenesses either. As Giorgio Vasari observed, portraiture served “function, aesthetics and propaganda,” often shaped more by convention and patron demands than by strict fidelity to appearance. Despite this, it seems that there is generally no objection to using such portraits on FamilySearch, even though they may reflect idealization rather than reality.

In this light, a carefully researched AI reconstruction—grounded in genealogical records, regional features, and period style—can stand alongside traditional portraits as part of the same interpretive tradition. When accompanied by a clear statement that they are AI created, AI portraits provide families with a historically informed visualization of ancestors who otherwise left no likeness, and in some respects offer greater accountability than many conventional portraits.

@Ian8662

Re 'it seems that there is generally no objection to using such portraits on FamilySearch'.

I suspect that the situation is, rather, that the relevant FS policies haven't yet caught up with Nov 2025 technical possibilities.