MyHeritage Founder and CEO Gilad Japhet at RootsTech 2025

RootsTech 2025 was packed with excitement, and as always, MyHeritage Founder and CEO Gilad Japhet’s talk was a highlight.

Watch the full talk here:

Gilad kicked things off with a hilarious AI-generated video about his journey to RootsTech. Worth watching for the laughs alone!

Gilad then introduced MyHeritage’s latest breakthroughs, showcasing key innovations that make family history research more engaging, accessible, and productive.

He began with LiveMemory™, an exciting AI-powered tool that animates old family photos, bringing ancestors to life in a unique and interactive way. This feature not only makes genealogy more fun but also gives users a compelling reason to preserve their family photos on MyHeritage.

In the world of historical records, MyHeritage has now reached 34 billion records, including an impressive 329 million newspaper pages on OldNews.com. A major upcoming addition is 3 billion French newspaper records, making MyHeritage an even more valuable resource for researchers with French roots.

Next, he introduced MyStories, a service designed to help users create their own memoirs. With guided weekly prompts, MyStories makes it easy to turn personal memories into a beautifully crafted keepsake book — capturing meaningful stories and preserving them for future generations.

For those eager to expand their family tree, Gilad introduced Cousin Finder™: a game-changing new feature announced at RootsTech. Exclusive to MyHeritage, this tool identifies blood relatives based on family tree connections — without requiring a DNA test. It offers a powerful new way to find and connect with relatives you never knew existed.

On the DNA front, Gilad highlighted the latest advancements, including Ethnicity Estimate v2.5, which expanded from 42 to 79 ethnicities, providing more precise and detailed insights into users’ ancestral backgrounds. He also highlighted Ancient Origins, an exciting addition that allows users to trace their genetic connection to ancient civilizations from up to 10,000 years ago, such as Romans, Vikings, and Phoenicians.

Gilad wrapped up his talk by hinting at even more groundbreaking innovations on the horizon as MyHeritage continues to lead the way in genealogy, DNA, and historical research. Stay tuned!

For a full recap of everything MyHeritage at RootsTech 2025, check out our RootsTech Roundup.