This is NOT the story of my grandparents...BUT

This is NOT the story of my grandparents that I told in my book IMMIGRANT SECRETS.

But my son recently told me a bit about a radical open source AI application called ChatGPT, one of the fastest growing technology platforms in history. As an aspiring writer and wannabe genealogist, the experience has blown my mind. I get the same sense of radical transformation on the horizon as when I first saw an internet browser in the early 1990s. Check out ChatGPT - it’s addicting and scary and loaded with potential all at the same time. And I wonder how it will impact how we research and tell stories in the future.

Here was my prompt…

Write me a story about a boy named Joseph born in 1925 growing up in New York City whose Italian immigrant father Francesco was committed to a mental asylum in 1932 and whose Italian immigrant mother Elisabetta was also committed in 1938.

And here was the story generated a few seconds later, exactly as the AI engine generated it. Not MY story, but not a bad one either.

Joseph was born in 1925, the youngest of three children, to Italian immigrant parents Francesco and Elisabetta in New York City. Growing up, he lived with his parents and siblings in a small apartment in the bustling city. His father Francesco worked hard as a factory worker to provide for his family, and his mother Elisabetta stayed at home to take care of the children.

Despite the challenges of living in a new country as immigrants, Francesco and Elisabetta were determined to give their children a good life. They instilled in them the importance of hard work and education, and encouraged them to learn English and assimilate to American culture.

Joseph was a bright and curious boy, and he excelled in school. He loved reading books and spending time with his friends, and he dreamed of one day becoming a doctor. However, his life took a difficult turn when his father Francesco was committed to a mental asylum in 1932.

Without their father's income, the family struggled to make ends meet. Elisabetta took on extra work cleaning houses to support the family, but it wasn't enough. Joseph and his siblings had to start working part-time jobs to help out. Despite the challenges, they remained a close-knit family and continued to support each other.

In 1938, tragedy struck again when Elisabetta was also committed to a mental asylum. Joseph, now a teenager, was devastated. He and his siblings were forced to fend for themselves, and they were sent to live in a group home for orphaned and abandoned children.

Despite the hardships he faced, Joseph never lost sight of his dreams. He continued to work hard in school and eventually earned a scholarship to college. He studied hard and became a doctor, just as he had always wanted.

Looking back on his difficult childhood, Joseph was grateful for the love and support of his family, and for the determination and resilience that had helped him overcome adversity. He knew that without their help, he never would have been able to achieve his goals.