Can I use AI to translate the vital records for my lineage society application?

Some lineage societies require that a translation be provided if a non-English language document is submitted as part of an application. Would it be okay to use AI to create that translation?

I used a French language baptismal record as test.

Human transcription and translation:

B. 64 Z. Edouard Charest	Le trente-un Juillet, mil huit cent cinquante, par Nous curé soussigné a été baptisé Zephirin Edouard, né la veille du légitime mariage d’Antoine Charest, cultivateur & de Marie- Anne Lafleche de cette paroisse. Parain Ephraim Charest ; marrain Rose Montreuil, soussignés. Le père a declaré ne savoir signer. [signatures]
B. 64 Z. Edouard Charest	July 31st, one thousand eight hundred fifty, by We the curate undersigned was baptized Zephirin Edouard, born yesterday of the legitimate marriage of Antoine Charest, farmer & of Marie-Anne Lafleche of this parish. Godfather Ephraim Charest; godmother Rose Montreuil, undersigned. The father declared to not known how to sign. [signatures]

And to start the test!

My general prompt: “Imagine you a professional translator working with a professional genealogist. Please transcribe and translate the following document from French to English. Please note any words you cannot read.”

[Note: I have modified the use of bold font to put my own words in bold and removed it from anything generated by the programs to make the outcomes easier to read.]

Microsoft Copilot (using Microsoft account):

Sure, I can help with that. Here’s the transcription of the French text from the document:

Le huit août mil huit cent quarante-cinq à midi pardevant nous adjoint au maire officier de l'état civil de la ville de L'Isle-Jourdain canton de L'Isle-Jourdain département du Gers soussigné et en présence des témoins après nommés est comparu le sieur Jean Chaubet âgé de trente ans cultivateur né et domicilié à Montadet commune du dit canton fils majeur et légitime des sieurs Pierre Chaubet et Marie Baqué son épouse cultivateurs domiciliés audit Montadet d'une part.

And here’s the translation to English:

On the eighth of August, eighteen hundred and forty-five at noon, before us, the deputy mayor, officer of the civil state of the town of L'Isle-Jourdain, canton of L'Isle-Jourdain, department of Gers, undersigned and in the presence of the witnesses named after, appeared Sir Jean Chaubet, aged thirty years, farmer, born and domiciled in Montadet, commune of the said canton, major and legitimate son of Sirs Pierre Chaubet and Marie Baqué his wife, farmers domiciled in said Montadet on the one hand.

Please note that this is a rough translation and the meaning might vary slightly due to the differences in sentence structure between French and English. Let me know if you need help with anything else! 😊

Source: Conversation with Bing, 3/7/2024
(1) canardscanins.ca/roots/portal.php?action=show&id=935. http://canardscanins.ca/roots/portal.php?action=show&id=935.
(2) https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Birth-certificate-of-Staadt-stating-his-official…. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Birth-certificate-of-Staadt-stating-his-official-first-names-Archives-departementales_fig1_336412459.
(3) https://heritagehunt.blogspot.com/2013/03/mathernus-thines-chronology.html. https://heritagehunt.blogspot.com/2013/03/mathernus-thines-chronology.html.
(4) levantineheritage.com/letter3.htm. http://levantineheritage.com/letter3.htm.
(5) https://www.pinterest.com/pin/28851253839199975. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/28851253839199975/

One major problem: this isn’t the same document!

Gemini (free version):

Based on the image you sent, the document appears to be a handwritten letter in French. Here’s my transcription and translation:

Transcription:

de toute unfecutlet, mit witrent
ite boptice Zephiren. Idavad, ni la
dand Ville des liptime managed ‘stutine
me
2
Chart Charest, thenatens, de Mariv.cheme
Laufliche de ath practo.hawaii.
chanbrent, soupepués de per a cutané

                                      Frore Jelene Montrend aphiée Frasect

Translation:

Unclear or difficult to read words:

• Line 1: “unfecutlet” – Unclear, potentially misspelled. Possible interpretations include “inféodalité” (feudalism) or “inutilité” (uselessness).
• Line 2: “boptice” – Unclear, possible interpretations include “baptisé” (baptized) or “boutique” (shop).
• Line 3: “Ville des liptime” – Unclear, “Ville” means “city” and “lèvre” means “lip”. “Liptime” is not a recognized word.
• Line 4: “stutine” – Unclear, possible interpretations include “destinataire” (addressee) or “statutine” (small statue).
• Line 5: “Chart” – Unclear, could be a name or a misspelling of “cher” (dear).
• Line 6: “Mariv.cheme” – Unclear, possibly a misspelling of a name or location.
• Line 7: “Laufliche” – Unclear, does not appear to be a French word.
• Line 7: “practo.hawaii” – Unclear, “practo” is not a French word. “Hawaii” is likely a misspelling or placeholder.
• Line 8: “chanbrent” – Unclear, possible misspelling of “chambre” (room).
• Line 8: “soupepués” – Unclear, possible misspelling of “soupçon” (hint) or “soupçonné” (suspected).
• Line 8: “per a cutané” – Unclear, “per” means “by” and “cutané” means “cutaneous” (related to the skin). “a” is likely an indefinite article (a, an).

Translation with bracketed uncertainties:

With all the uncertainties mentioned above, here’s a possible translation:

From all [feudalism/uselessness], despite everything
[baptized/shop] Zephyrin. Today, nor the
city of lips managed ‘little statue’
me
2
Dear [Chart], greetings, from Mariv [place name]?
[Unclear] of the practice.hawaii.
room, suspected by [a hint/cutaneous]

Additional Notes:

• The document appears to be personal in nature, possibly a letter.
• The handwriting style and some of the word choices suggest it might be written by someone who is not a fluent writer in French.
• Due to the many ambiguities, the exact meaning of the letter is unclear.

I hope this is helpful! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Transkribus.ai (French Model 1) + Google Translate:

Transcription:

364
Elbaut
Charest

Le trente-unjuillet, nut touitcent
anquante, peu ans luie soupeque
a été baptiré rephéreur Edouad, ni la
velle du leptime rannged’étulama
Charest, cuttieuteur et de Mano-et
saptiche de cette paraipe parrai
Eppren Charest; marrane, Non
chantrenl, soupique Le pèr a dutare
n’aivoi repue
Rore Polena Montreud aphriém Ctiaréd
M. M. Bricu Stu

Text Recognition powered by transkribus.ai

With post-editing, it might be possible to get this into a viable transcription, but it’s not usable right now.

And the translation:

364
Elbaut
Charest

July 31, nut touitcent
old, few years old him soupque
was baptized marker Edouad, nor the
calf of the leptime rangd’étulama
Charest, cuttieuteur and Mano-et
saptiche of this paraipe parrai
Eppren Charest; marrane, No
chantrenl, soupique The father has dutare
haven’t had enough
Rore Polena Montreud aphriém Ctiaréd
Mr. M. Bricu Stu

My verdict: not there yet!