Is John Smith My Name?

What if the world’s most common name carried a secret?

Is John Smith My Name? is part detective story, part family road trip, and part experiment in how emerging AI can bring history to life. Civil engineer John Oliver Smith and storyteller Davar Ardalan set out to confirm his English or Irish roots — only to uncover a hidden German-American story stretching from the Shenandoah Valley to Württemberg, Germany.

At the center is CK, Catherine Kessler AI: both a Custom GPT archivist and a Voice AI persona powered by Amazon Polly. Built on transcripts, archives, and research, CK makes history interactive, letting listeners ask questions, hear ancestral voices, and explore German-American contributions in real time.

Relaunching ahead of John’s research trip to Germany, the podcast blends genealogy, archives, and cutting-edge AI into an immersive story that asks: What does it mean to truly know your name?

You can engage with CK, the AI companion to this podcast on ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-68c1b698d690819186f512e0100547ae-ck

Contributors

Co-host

CK

Meet CK - our podcast co-host and audio synthesizer, powered by Amazon Polly. Listen in as she brings to life data and stories from the past. CK stands for Catherine Kessler, an ancestor to John who resided in Mount Crawford, VA in the 1800s; it was her name that sparked his journey into uncovering his German ancestry through centuries old German Church records. In true pioneering spirit, CK leads our historical re-enactment team. Amazing what the past can teach us through her voice. CK joins us in Episode 2.

CK is also our AI companion for the podcast: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-68c1b698d690819186f512e0100547ae-ck

Co-host

Davar Ardalan

An award-winning storyteller and AI innovation leader, Davar brings narrative craft and cultural insight to the podcast. A former NPR and National Geographic producer, she was named to Project Voice’s Voice AI 100 for her pioneering work in ethical AI storytelling. As executive producer, she guides both the narrative arc and the show’s bold use of emerging technology.

Co-host

John Oliver Smith

John Oliver Smith, is the co-host and explorer behind the captivating podcast series, "Is John Smith My Name." Growing up in Ohio, John had a taste for adventure, much like Tom Sawyer. Today, he's a Registered Professional Civil/Environmental Engineer at The BAI Group. But what makes him even more interesting is that he recently uncovered his German heritage through genealogical research. John's never ending journey has taken him around the world—from Maryland to Germany, Riyadh to Rome and Singapore to South America. With his vast knowledge in industry, civil engineering and cutting-edge technologies he is now bringing a fresh perspective as a podcast host - with an added dosage of German pride. The route that led John on his quest to discover his German heritage was through the name of his ancestor Catherine Kessler.