Evernote AI: Effortlessly craft notes with AI Edit
Oct 28 2024 | Issue 15 | Link to this issue | Subscribe
Hi Reader –
Welcome back to the second part of my 3-part series on how Evernote is incorporating AI to boost your productivity.
Last week, we talked about AI Transcription, which lets you transform audio, image text, and handwriting into editable text.
Today we’re focused on the second Evernote AI feature: AI Edit
Currently, AI Edit is available to all Evernote users in its beta form — regardless of your plan (even free). This is your chance to try out the features, but keep in mind that as these tools mature, Evernote has indicated AI features may require a specific subscription tier to access. My interpretation of this is that AI Edit may not always be available on the free, and maybe even Personal plan – but it is now.
Reminder, I don't work for Evernote. I'm an Evernote Certified Expert who teaches users how to do more with Evernote. More about my story here.
AI Edit: Clean, Write, and Translate with Ease
With AI Edit, you’re getting a smart tool that makes note-taking smoother and more efficient. AI Edit helps you clean up, summarize, and even translate your notes, saving you time and cognitive effort for higher-level thinking.
Reminder: AI features are completely optional!
As mentioned last week, although AI features in Evernote exist, they’re not required – they’re an option.
Evernote provides a visual cue to help users understand that they are activating an AI feature. You’ll notice that the AI Edit button includes a green-to-blue color gradient along with 3 stars:
Both of these design elements indicate AI in Evernote. The gradient is also used in the button for AI Transcribe, and, as you’ll see next week, the 3 stars are used in the AI-Powered Search feature.
I expect that future AI features in Evernote will adhere to this design standard, so train your eye to recognize it – especially if you want to avoid using AI in Evernote.
If you have concerns about using AI, or it simply isn’t your cup of tea, then don’t click the AI Edit button – or any button with these design elements. Just continue to use Evernote the same way you have before.
If, however, you think AI Edit can help your note-taking then opt-in to the feature and try it out.
If you do choose to use AI Edit, you’re agreeing to Evernote’s Supplemental Terms which is an extension of their Privacy Policy. And, the first time you use AI Edit you’ll have to click through a screen which links to both of those and clarifies that your data is not used to train AI models:
Privacy Note: If you’re concerned about AI and privacy, review my comments on how Evernote handles this in last week's newsletter – scroll to the section “Should You Trust Evernote’s AI Integration?”
Once you opt in, using AI Edit is a pretty straightforward process. Let’s walk through how it works.
How to Use AI Edit
Evernote's AI Edit Options
Step 1: Select your text
Highlight the text in your note that you want to enhance. AI Edit only works with typed content (not PDFs or images), and you can choose up to 6,000 characters at a time.
Step 2: Click the AI Edit button
In the note toolbar, click on the green-to-blue gradient button labeled “AI Edit”. A menu with several AI Edit options appears.
Step 3: Choose your action
The AI Edit button has several options, like summarizing, fixing typos, translating into one of 15 languages, and even generating introductions and conclusions. If you’ve used AI before, you’ll notice the options are familiar, intuitive, and easy to navigate.
Top AI Edit Functions
AI Edit "Summarize" Demo
Summarize: Most who have played with AI tools such as Chat GPT are familiar with the AI’s ability to summarize. This option lets you condense Evernote note content without leaving the app, and offers several output options. For example, use it to create a bulleted list, a summary for email, or a social media post.
Fix Typos: No need for spell check. Before sharing your meeting notes with colleagues, use AI Edit to instantly correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization errors in your selected text.
One of my Academy members shared how effective the Fix Typos option has been in cleaning up broken English for a non-native speaker. Using this tool, he’s able to present more polished, professional writing in his business communications.
Translate: Evernote supports 15 languages with AI Edit, making it easier for you to communicate globally. Whether it’s converting English into French or translating an entire note from Japanese to English, AI Edit has you covered.
🧠 Academy Members: View a live demo of all AI Edit options and get more use-case inspiration in this on-demand training: Masterclass: AI Edit.
Do you have a use case you like (or love!) for Evernote’s AI Edit? Hit reply and let me know how you’re using it.
What’s Next?
In the final part of this series, we’ll explore AI-Powered Search — a feature designed to make finding relevant information faster and easier. With this tool, you’re able to conduct natural language searches and get results in no time. Look for this next Monday.
Cheers to better, smarter notes!
Stacey
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