In today’s information-driven workplace, the ability to research people and companies—and to teach others how to do so effectively—is essential to professional success. While traditional fee-based databases remain critical, the growing presence of free and low-cost generative AI tools has transformed how information professionals gather and present insights.

This program will explore the tools, techniques, and best practices needed to create accurate, engaging, and insightful profiles of individuals and organizations. Participants will learn how to evaluate and leverage free GenAI resources while recognizing and avoiding the pitfalls and inaccuracies that often accompany free generative AI databases.

Because our clients increasingly rely on us as information professionals for guidance on where and how to find reliable data, it is vital to make informed, data-driven decisions about which free GenAI research tools are the most efficient, effective, and trustworthy.

This program will connect historic research tools and techniques to the current opportunities and challenges of using free GenAI resources for researching people and companies. Attendees will explore common pitfalls, biases, and poor research habits that can affect GenAI results and engage with real-life case studies assessing the accuracy and reliability of free GenAI profiles over a six-month research period. Using checklists and prompt engineering, participants will learn how to apply these lessons to their own work to enhance research and service. The session encourages active participation, allowing attendees to experiment with creating profiles using various free GenAI tools and comparing their results.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

Anyone who is asked to produce information about people or companies or teaches others on how to locate insightful information about people and companies. Information professionals who advise patrons about the best tools and techniques for conducting research. Everyone, as the use and misuse of free GenAI resources is skyrocketing in our personal and professional life, whereas we as information professionals, whether in law firms, corporations, government entities, or academic institutions, are being called upon in our personal and professional lives to advise people in the use of GenAI.

TAKEAWAYS:

1. Participants will develop skills to effectively utilize free GenAI resources to create profiles of people and companies. Attendees will leave with insights into the most useful, free GenAI resources, as well as appreciating the strengths and weaknesses of each. Privacy and ethics concerns will also be briefly touched upon.
2. Participants will be trained on how to most efficiently create prompts so that the GenAI resource will provide accurate, reliable, and useful information, while minimizing the likelihood of hallucinations. A takeaway will be a component of how to evaluate GenAI results. 
3. Participants will identify and formulate how to most effectively promote their expertise so that they can steer their patrons to the right resource and minimize inaccurate information.

COORDINATOR/SPEAKER:

• Nathan A. Rosen, Herrick Feinstein, LLP

AALL BODY OF KNOWLEDGE DOMAINS: Research + Analysis, Teaching + Training

CANCELLATION AND OTHER POLICIES:

No refunds will be given for any purchased AALL conference recording. This applies to non-AALL members only as the recordings are free for AALL members.

The opinions shared during this program represent the views of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL). Recording, capturing, or using AI tools to duplicate, transcribe, or otherwise reproduce an AALL program in any form is strictly prohibited without prior written consent from AALL. This includes, but is not limited to audio, video, or any other content shared. By accessing an AALL recording, you agree to adhere to this policy.