When AI finds an ancestor, how do you know it found your family?

Finding a real census record does not settle whether the person in it belongs in your family tree. Two people can share a name, and a beautifully written family history can hide the moment someone chose the wrong one. The US National Archives' census guidance warns that names, ages and birthplaces may be inaccurate. It also says people with similar names need to be distinguished through other details, including family composition. Its 1850–1950 guide treats a recorded age as a clue to an approximate birth date, not an exact birthday. For an AI-assisted search, try asking for the competing candidates before asking for a biography: ‘What supports each match, what conflicts, and what record would help distinguish them?’ Read the household on the original image. A different spouse or child deserves investigation, not a sentence that quietly smooths it away. That is a research approach, not a test of a particular genealogy tool. Leaving a branch unresolved can feel disappointing. It is still better than sharing a moving story about somebody else's grandfather.