Evernote’s greatest replace since 2020 goes all in on AI

When you’re like me, it is most likely been a scorching minute since you have thought of Evernote. For years, the note-taking app, as soon as a darling of the App Retailer, confronted declining reputation and profitability. The final time it grabbed headlines was in 2022 when it was offered to Milan-based developer Bending Spoons. Roughly 9 months later, Bending Spoons laid off nearly all of Evernote’s US workforce, and relocated what remained of the corporate’s operations to Europe. Now, Evernote needs to be within the dialog once more. 

Since taking on the app, Bending Spoons has launched greater than 200 enhancements, culminating right this moment with the discharge of Evernote v11. The corporate is touting the replace, which is the primary main launch for Evernote since its poorly received v10 launch again in 2020. The brand new model brings a handful of latest AI options to Evernote, together with one which Bending Spoons collaborated with OpenAI to develop.      

“My want for v11 is that folks give it a try to see how briskly and dependable it’s, how full it’s in what it gives,” Federico Simionato, Evenote’s product lead, mentioned over a video chat. “I feel folks have an outdated opinion of Evernote that used to match actuality, when Evernote was gradual and unreliable.”    

The primary of the brand new options Bending Spoons is introducing right this moment known as AI Assistant. Simionato describes it as having ChatGPT inside Evernote. No shock for the reason that firm collaborated with OpenAI to make it. As you possibly can most likely guess, you need to use AI Assistant to go looking via your notes and notebooks, however the device’s utility goes past that. It lets you work together together with your paperwork and ask follow-up questions. AI Assistant also can generate new content material, and you may resolve how what it creates is built-in inside your current notes and notebooks. In my demo, Simionato used AI Assistant so as to add a flight ticket quantity to a word he had devoted to an upcoming journey to Spain. Over time, Bending Spoons plans to make AI Assistant extra highly effective, with the corporate engaged on making it potential for the chatbot to assign tags to notes and carry out bulk actions throughout a number of paperwork, amongst different capabilities. 

By default, Bending Spoons will allow AI Assistant for all paid customers. A set of granular controls will enable folks to resolve what content material AI Assistant can entry. The settlement Bending Spoons has with OpenAI means the corporate cannot practice its fashions on knowledge from Evernote customers. Moreover, any knowledge despatched to the cloud for processing will solely be held as lengthy it takes to finish the person’s request.  

A part of the explanation Bending Spoons is taking a extra ahead method with AI Assistant is because of person suggestions. In 2023, the corporate launched a device known as AI Search. Simionato says his workforce was “extraordinarily cautious” so as to add friction to the expertise to make sure folks felt Evernote was respecting their privateness. To that finish, you needed to dig into the app’s settings to allow AI Search earlier than it could work. In line with Simionato, customers discovered that setup was “too cumbersome,” and with most individuals turning into extra snug with AI instruments, the corporate determined to make AI Assistant seen from the bounce. 

The opposite new characteristic Bending Spoons is introducing right this moment is one some Evernote customers have been ready for a decade: Semantic Search. As an alternative of looking for a word utilizing an actual phrase or phrase you used inside it, Semantic Search permits Evernote to filter via your paperwork utilizing context. Simionato demonstrates the characteristic in motion by typing “Barcelona journey” into the brand new interface, and Evernote surfaces a word he created a couple of journey to Girona. When you’re not acquainted, Girona is a metropolis about 62 miles northeast of Barcelona and a part of Catalonia. The doc Evernote pulled up had no point out of Barcelona in it, however that did not forestall the device from discovering it. In line with Simionato, that is probably the most requested characteristic of longtime Evernote customers and one Bending Spoons is completely satisfied it could possibly lastly ship on. 

Lastly, the corporate has expanded the app’s built-in recording and transcription capabilities. Constructing on AI Transcribe, which Bending Spoons first launched in 2024, Evernote can now file audio from each in-person and on-line conferences and routinely transcribe and summarize what’s mentioned. This characteristic ought to work in each language that Evernote at present helps. 

As talked about, Evernote’s new AI options can be found to all paid customers. Simionato mentioned Bending Spoons is engaged on making a path obtainable to free customers someday within the subsequent few months. For now, the value of Evernote’s paid plans is not going up, however Simionato famous the corporate plans to regulate pricing within the coming months, largely to account for the very fact there aren’t many notable variations between the Private and Skilled tiers.