Second Brain: A Note-Taking Vision
From Information Flood to Structured Thought: The Power of Digital Notes to structure our daily ideas and beyond
The internet is a place where information floods into our minds from every corner. We are constantly distracted by new content, trying to look at many windows at once. We find ourselves trying to hold onto details, much like trying to catch water with our bare hands. The few drops we manage to catch sparkle for a moment before being lost in the great river of knowledge flowing by.
Note-taking emerges as an option to catch more of the water. It becomes more than writing down points. It transforms into an anchoring mechanism: A lifeboat that keeps us afloat in the sea of information. Notes are my sanctuary, a space I can return to, allowing for deeper thinking and the evolution of ideas.
In 2008, Americans consumed an average of 34 gigabytes of content and 100,000 words of information in a single day, according to a study by the University of California, San Diego ("How Much Information? 2009 Report on American Consumers"). This flood of information - whether from digital devices, print, or the environment - can be overwhelming. When we're flooded with so much information, it becomes a challenge to retain the most important knowledge, let alone reflect on and analyze it.
Navigating the Maze of Digital Note-keeping
Digital note-taking apps, like many tech tools, promise to increase our productivity and improve our thinking. The idea was simple: store everything and access it when you need it. Instead of making life easier, many of us find ourselves overwhelmed by the amount of digital notes we can accumulate. This 'data overload' can leave us stuck, not knowing how to find or use the information we've stored.
I rely on Notion a lot. I use it to write, plan and organise almost everything - from articles I read to holiday details. While it's great for storage, its static nature means I have to search for what I need. Although I can create overviews and databases, I wish it felt more interactive, like I was having a conversation with it.
AI's Unfulfilled Potential in Knowledge Management
Modern tools such as Roam Research and Notion have incorporated AI to improve the processes of creating and editing information. The main focus has been on making these tasks smoother and more intuitive. While the focus on creation and editing has its merits, it's a missed opportunity. Imagine an AI that digs deep into your accumulated knowledge.
Exploring and drawing connections between disparate pieces of information. Such capabilities would not improve recall but would allow users to synthesize new insights from existing data. In my view, this is where the true value of AI can shine - in assisting exploration and linking threads of knowledge in ways that we might otherwise overlook.
The Symbiosis
Integrating an LLM with your notes isn't about uploading content. It's about training the system to understand the user's thought patterns and preferences. Over time, this personalised model becomes a reflection of the user's mind, a true digital extension.
Imagine querying your digital notebook and instead of a simple search result, you're presented with context-aware suggestions. These aren't keywords or related topics, but deep, meaningful connections between concepts you've documented over the years. The interaction feels less like a search and more like a dialogue with an intelligent peer.
Rather than drowning in information, users are guided through their notes with clarity. In essence, it transforms the daunting flood of information into manageable streams of insight.
Balancing AI Advancements with Trust and Privacy
While AI, especially an LLM, holds immense promise, it's crucial that its outputs are reliable. A user's notes are a direct reflection of their thoughts and beliefs. Any misinterpretation or inaccurate representation can undermine the trust in the system. Integrating an LLM with personal notes also means handing over sensitive or intimate information. The solution? Perhaps a local, offline LLM, ensuring that all data remains on the user's device, safeguarded from potential breaches.
The vision isn't to build an external repository but to cultivate a partnership in which AI understands and enhances our cognitive abilities. This symbiosis ensures that the wisdom of our past experiences and the insights of our notes are not buried, but instead help shape our future thinking.