The Evolution of Effie AI: A Writing Revolution

InfoThis is a summary of the following YouTube video:

【李自然说】Effie AI，我做的写作软件，再次进化

李自然说

Nov 27, 2023

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Science & Technology

Effie AI's evolution and features

  1. Three years ago, the author introduced a writing software called Effie AI through a video release event.
  2. Effie AI is designed to help users convert their thoughts into text, ultimately creating value.
  3. The software has received positive feedback and multiple recommendations from major app stores.
  4. Effie AI is pre-installed on all iPads in Apple's offline retail stores in China.
  5. The interface of Effie AI is very clean and simple, resembling a sheet of paper without any buttons.
  6. This design minimizes distractions, allowing users to focus solely on writing, which is crucial for some users, including the author.
  7. Effie AI has special optimizations for outlines and four-dimensional diagrams, making it suitable for writing logically rigorous articles.
  8. The author often uses Effie AI to create outlines before recording videos to organize thoughts.
  9. Effie AI differs from another software called Mubu, which is also excellent but primarily focuses on creating outlines.
  10. Effie AI integrates both article writing and outline creation, with outlines serving as a tool to aid in text creation.

Effie AI simplifies writing without internet

  1. Effie AI is designed for users who prefer simplicity in writing software, unlike more complex tools like Notion and Obsidian, which require a learning curve.
  2. The main philosophy behind Effie AI is to encourage users to focus on the act of creation itself rather than spending time learning how to use the software.
  3. Effie AI is a Chinese-developed software that competes well with international products like Ulysses, Bayer, and Typower in terms of product quality.
  4. One of the key features of Effie AI is that it can be used offline, with user data stored locally on the device, ensuring data security even if the company goes out of business.
  5. Effie AI's offline capability is particularly useful in environments without internet access, such as on airplanes, ships, remote mountainous areas, or sparsely populated foreign regions.

Effie AI enhances focused writing

  1. The author emphasizes the importance of not forgetting work, even when frequently traveling or being outside.
  2. Effie AI is highlighted as a reliable tool for writing, especially in situations with no signal.
  3. The author explains that many software applications are essentially web pages with a shell, which makes them easier to develop but less efficient in performance and memory usage.
  4. Effie AI, being natively developed for platforms like iPhone, is praised for its small size and fast performance, even when handling large texts.
  5. The author mentions having written over 2.6 million words using Effie AI, demonstrating its smooth operation and reliability.
  6. Effie AI is recommended for those who seek a simple, distraction-free writing environment without the need for complex features or collaboration.
  7. The software allows users to focus solely on their writing, eliminating other distractions.
  8. Effie AI has undergone numerous optimizations since its launch, including support for image insertion, annotations, comments, and code blocks.
  9. The author uses Effie AI to record various types of content, such as musical scores and poker strategies, showcasing its versatility.

Effie AI enhances writing with new features

  1. Effie AI has improved its image export functionality, allowing users to easily export articles as long images to share with friends or on social media. Some of the image styles are visually appealing.
  2. Effie AI now supports theme selection. The demonstration interface shown is a yellow theme called Solarize Light, different from the original white theme. Users can switch between light and dark modes by clicking the sun and moon icons. If the interface is set to switch according to the system, the themes will also switch accordingly.
  3. Future updates to Effie AI will continue to enrich the export image styles and theme color schemes. Designers with creative ideas are encouraged to contact the team to incorporate their designs into Effie AI.
  4. A significant update to Effie AI is the introduction of FA (Effie AI). The developer has been focused on AI for a long time and started developing FA early on, but it was only recently released due to compliance issues.
  5. FA's functionalities are now quite comprehensive. AI can assist with brainstorming, outlining, changing writing styles, polishing, summarizing, expanding, and continuing text. Users can access these AI features by pressing the slash key on the keyboard, which brings up a menu with various AI options.
  6. The AI menu adapts to different contexts. For example, in a blank document, brainstorming options are prioritized, while in a document with a lot of text, options for polishing, adjusting length, and summarizing are more prominently displayed.

Effie AI enhances user experience

  1. Effie AI was developed early but only recently introduced to the public.
  2. Unlike other AI products, Effie AI allows users to continue their work while waiting for AI responses.
  3. Most AI software requires users to wait for the AI to complete its response before proceeding, which can interrupt creative flow.
  4. Effie AI supports concurrent tasks, enabling users to ask multiple questions without waiting for each response to finish.
  5. This feature prevents users from having to hold back multiple questions and allows for a more seamless interaction with the AI.
  6. Effie AI's design aims to enhance user experience by minimizing interruptions and supporting continuous workflow.

Effie AI allows multitasking without waiting

  1. Effie AI enables users to issue multiple commands simultaneously without waiting for the previous task to complete. This feature allows for a more efficient workflow, as users can ask the AI to refine a document, answer a question, and create a virtual assistant all at once.
  2. Unlike many AI software that require continuous internet connection and do not allow users to switch devices or exit the interface, Effie AI offers flexibility. Users can disconnect from the internet or switch devices without interrupting the AI's processing.
  3. Effie AI's response mechanism is designed to avoid disrupting the user's thought process and creativity. Instead of displaying answers one character at a time, Effie AI provides clean and concise responses all at once, which might make the waiting period seem longer but is actually the same duration.
  4. The AI's response box is optimized to avoid sudden content jumps that can disrupt the editing area. If the response box is far from the cursor, the AI's reply will collapse to prevent the editing area from shifting unexpectedly.
  5. Overall, Effie AI is likened to a personal assistant that can handle multiple tasks efficiently and without causing interruptions, enhancing the user's writing and creative process.

Effie AI enhances writing efficiency

  1. Effie AI allows users to delegate tasks to an assistant while continuing other work, unlike traditional methods where one must wait for the assistant to finish a task before starting another.
  2. Users can call the assistant at any time without worrying about its current tasks, enabling continuous focus on writing rather than waiting for AI outputs.
  3. Effie AI supports creating and expanding outlines and mind maps, allowing users to easily convert articles into structured formats or generate articles from mind maps.
  4. The brainstorming feature in Effie AI generates mind maps that can be manually or AI-augmented, providing flexibility in content creation.
  5. Effie AI can expand any outline or mind map by understanding its logic and context, offering comprehensive support for detailed content development.
  6. Effie AI supports asking multiple questions simultaneously and expanding multiple sections within a mind map at the same time, enhancing productivity.

Effie AI enhances writing productivity

  1. The speaker discusses the desire to expand on the origins of modern life and to have AI tell more stories, including those about Zeus.
  2. The AI can simultaneously perform multiple tasks, providing references when the user lacks ideas. Users can accept or reject the AI's suggestions by clicking check or cross marks.
  3. After adjusting a diagram, users can use AI to convert it into a long article. Manual adjustments can also be made before conversion.
  4. Current AI technology cannot generate very long content due to limitations, but Effie AI has optimized this to produce articles of several thousand words.
  5. Effie AI is particularly useful for writing explanatory or formulaic articles where high quality is not a strict requirement.
  6. The process may be slow as the AI runs many commands on backend servers, allowing users to switch tasks or even turn off their devices while waiting.
  7. The speaker demonstrates writing a lengthy article on Greek mythology effortlessly, emphasizing that while AI can assist, the creator's input remains crucial.

AI assists but doesn't replace human creativity

  1. The text compares AI assistance in writing to driver assistance in cars, emphasizing that AI can help but not replace human creators.
  2. The author believes that creators are the core, and AI is just an auxiliary tool, encouraging the use of AI but not for fully automated writing.
  3. A proposed feature is to add a logo indicating 'handwritten, non-AI generated' for articles not using AI, promoting human creativity.
  4. The text discusses the use of different large AI models, each with unique strengths, and the strategy of using the most suitable model for each function.
  5. The overseas version of the software is more flexible, while the domestic version adheres to compliance requirements, always choosing the best approved models.
  6. Continuous testing and fine-tuning of AI models are emphasized to ensure optimal performance for specific functions.

Effie AI's advancements in writing software

  1. The optimization process involves configuring the best available models for users to use directly. This ensures that users have access to the best models that are currently usable.
  2. Some large foreign models are not compliant or stable for use in China. Many users who previously used certain GVT products may find them unusable now.
  3. The focus is on providing compliant and stable services to users. Domestic large models are progressing rapidly, potentially faster than many people expect.
  4. In text processing, domestic models are expected to catch up with foreign models soon. Some latest versions of domestic models are already performing very well.
  5. Advanced large models' latest versions are not yet available to ordinary users. Due to good relationships with domestic large model manufacturers, Effie AI can use these advanced technologies early.
  6. Effie AI has made optimizations and uses more advanced models than those publicly available. This allows users to focus on creation while Effie AI handles other issues.
  7. Effie AI ensures users always have access to the most advanced models, regardless of which model becomes the best in the future.
  8. The Effie AI team and the author are enthusiastic about embracing AI and exploring its efficiency improvements.
  9. Many new features are nearly complete, such as automatic image insertion based on article content.
  10. Effie AI is already available on Mac, and the Windows version will be officially launched in November 2023.

Effie AI offers flexible and evolving services

  1. Effie AI provides a monthly free AI quota for FA members, which refreshes every month. This allows occasional users to access AI services without additional costs.
  2. For users who need more AI services, additional FA services can be purchased. The pricing is not specified in the video as it may change over time due to fluctuating GPU and API costs.
  3. Effie AI aims to offer affordable services with minimal profit margins, anticipating improvements in AI speed and quality, and reductions in costs over time.
  4. Users can also earn free AI usage by participating in sharing activities. The threshold for participation is low, making it accessible to many.
  5. Content creators, such as YouTubers and independent media, are encouraged to join Effie AI's affiliate program, which can provide substantial and ongoing income.
  6. The Effie AI team is small and faces significant challenges and pressures in developing their products. They appreciate user support and encourage users to recommend their products to friends.
  7. Effie AI continues to evolve, with plans to introduce more AI products and enhance the basic functionalities of their writing tools.