This past Friday I received an email from Mem.ai announcing their latest update, which provides unlimited Smart Action credits for Mem X users. Previously, subscribing to Mem X offered 50 credits to perform Smart Actions, which is when you invoke AI to perform some action. If you ran out of credits, you could buy additional credits. After the update, they have taken my purchase of additional credits and applied them towards another year of Mem X subscription. In addition to unlimited Smart Actions, they have also added a Chat Bot to the web interface. The mobile and desktop apps have not received the update.
Technically, this is not much of an upgrade. They have simply removed the restriction on Smart Actions. However, it does change how one uses Mem. In my case, I was frugal with my use of Smart Actions. If I had a number of prompts to perform prior to the upgrade, I would use Chat GPT. When I only had the occasional prompt here and there, I would use my stash of credits. Now that AI prompts are unlimited as a Mem X subscriber, I am more likely to use them within the app, particularly in chat.
I also enjoy the AI Chat, which was not previously available. Before the upgrade, you could invoke the AI Smart Actions from within notes with special key commands. The new Chat feature, however, lives outside of notes in a section of its own. This is particularly useful as it serves as a way of discovering notes that are related to my query. The Chat bot will reply with a mix of new information and notes of mine that support the response. The best analogy I have is like when you go to the library. You may have figured out how to work the catalog to search for information. However, if you ask the Librarian, you would likely get far better results than just looking through the catalog. Similarly, the Chat AI functions as a librarian for all your work in addition to the general knowledge of the Internet.
It is especially exciting that the Chat bot uses both the LLM and my notes to formulate answers to my prompts. Ultimately, the more I use Mem, the more it tailors results for me. It unlocks more utility from note-taking. Not only does Mem.ai feature a way to connect thoughts in a way similar to a Wiki, it also makes suggestions about similar notes on the sidebar. With the new enhancement, you can use the Chat to teach you how to make the best use of its abilities.
For example, I prompted Mem Chat what kinds of notes I should keep to help it make more informed travel recommendations. Here is the response:
How To Make Good Travel Notes
Adding more detailed and well-structured notes to your knowledge base can help me provide better recommendations. Here are some suggestions for the types of notes you could add:
- Personal preferences: Include information about your likes and dislikes, such as favorite destinations, preferred travel styles, and any specific interests or hobbies related to travel.
- Past experiences: Write about your previous trips, including what you enjoyed, what you learned, and any challenges you faced. This can help me understand your travel history and make more informed suggestions.
- Travel goals: Share your travel aspirations, bucket list destinations, or specific experiences you'd like to have during your trips.
- Budget considerations: Provide information about your travel budget preferences, such as preferred accommodation types, transportation options, and daily spending limits.
- Travel resources: Create notes with useful travel resources, such as websites for booking flights and accommodations, travel blogs or guides you enjoy, or tips for finding deals and discounts.
- Packing lists: Develop packing lists for different types of trips (e.g., beach vacation, city break, adventure trip) to help streamline your packing process.
- Itineraries from past trips: Save itineraries from your previous travels as a reference for future trips or to share with friends and family.
By adding these types of notes to your knowledge base, you'll enable me to provide more personalized and relevant recommendations based on your unique preferences and experiences. Remember to interlink related notes and use clear titles to make it easier for me to find relevant information when needed.
Similarly, I asked it what notes I should take to help me with fitness and diet goals. Whatever area of improvement you want as your focus, you can have the AI direct you on what kind of notes to keep to help it personalize your results. For example, if you are allergic to shellfish or other foods, you can make a note about your allergies and food restrictions. It can use this note to avoid suggesting recipes that have that food.
Overall, the new Chat feature on Mem.ai is a small improvement with what I suspect will be big results.