Notion, the company behind the popular of the same name, has started testing a new feature called Notion AI that uses generative AI to write notes and other content. had a chance to use the software before today’s announcement. The interface is straightforward. You first select the type of writing you want help with from a list that includes options like “blog post,” “email marketing,” and “to-do list.” You then provide the software with an appropriate prompt, press the blue “Generate” button, and then watch as it creates text in real time.
Judging from some of the tool writing produced for The edge, it benefits, like other generative AIs, from the user being as specific as possible about what they want. For example, when the outlet asked Notion AI to write a blog post about the state of the smartwatch industry, the resulting draft mentioned the , and Tizen. In other words, he wrote about the state of the market in 2018, not as it exists today.
Notion CEO Ivan Zhao was quick to acknowledge that the feature is a work in progress. It is currently labeled as an alpha, with no announced release date. To try out Notion AI, you’ll need to join a waitlist and wait for an invite from the company. As for who it is for, Zhao said he envisions the software to solve the “cold start” problem that many people face when sitting down to write something. The idea isn’t so much that Notion AI produces a piece ready for immediate release, but it might give you a first draft that you can revise and polish into something you’re comfortable sharing with the world. Zhao suggests the software is also handy for brainstorming and translating text you’ve written.
“The truth is that sometimes we all get stuck. In those cases, Notion AI can help you write,” Notion says of its new tool in a one-minute promotional video the company shared. With today’s soft launch, Notion AI is free to use, but Notion notes that it will likely cost more in the future. The company also says it will open the feature to more testers as its AI improves.
