New media and genetic revolution: AI in DNA testing websites Ancestry and MyHeritage
The aim of this article is to show the relationship between the development of new media and genetic and genealogical research based on an analysis of the Ancestry and MyHeritage websites, taking into account their use of artificial intelligence. In the years 2020-2025, the largest genetic and genealogy services on the global market, i.e. Ancestry and MyHeritage, were observed to make a comparative analysis of their development and use of artificial intelligence. The services were compared in terms of the services offered, such as ethnicity estimates based on DNA, genetic predispositions for inherited traits and medical conditions, the possibility of building family trees and searching for DNA "matches", as well as new possibilities using artificial intelligence. The results show that both services are expanding their services by incorporating AI into their offerings, especially recently, while also indicating that AI is being used, for example, to create videos. While both services have a wide range of offerings, MyHeritage has an advantage, among other things, because it uses AI to create 42 language versions of its site, as well as through its "chromosome painting" offering to compare DNA "matches." The development of new media, coupled with the development of genetic and genealogical research, has led to the emergence of services offering customers DNA testing using artificial intelligence. These services are constantly evolving, demonstrating an effective combination of commerce and scientific research for the benefit of customers.