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Recently, I embarked on a real-world experiment with Gemini Live that completely reshaped how I record information for work and play. Let me walk you through my process of harnessing voice-based AI tools for note-taking.
On-the-Go Information Capture
I’ve been using my smartphone for quickly jotting down notes, adding photos and audio recordings along for additional context. I personally use OneNote, but many of thebest note-taking appsshould seamlessly sync with the cloud and this in-the-moment capture preserves raw ideas and observations for later review and/or use.
However, fumbling with the phone to type your thoughts takes your eyes off the activity you’re engaged with. And while quick voice notes are an option, they often end up as contextless audio files. And let’s be honest, we all can do with workflows that help reduce distractions.
My 5 Favorite Things to Do by Talking With Gemini Live
Not sure where to start with Gemini Live? Here are some things I use it for.
The core of my experiment involved making information capture as instant and frictionless as possible. While I used Google Gemini the first time, it works similarly with Microsoft Copilot as well. And I’m sure, on other AI chatbots with voice mode.
The beauty of this is that it minimizes the steps and mental effort involved. It bypasses the multi-step, attention-demanding process of traditional mobile input, reducing the cognitive tax of switching tasks and interacting manually. Plus, if you’re with someone, it’s mostly annoying for the other person if you’re glued to your smartphone throughout a leisure trip.
The time saved isn’t just in the physical act of note taking, but also in the mental energy preserved by not having to recall lost ideas later. This shift to voice-first interaction for quick capture leverages the increasing accuracy and deep integration of AI-powered assistants.
Taking Voice Notes with Gemini Live
My first attempt at taking notes with Gemini Live happened on my recent visit to the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.
While I went around the exhibits, I wanted to make a note of people, products, companies, and events that I should read about later. A typed list or a voice note would’ve just been that… a list with no context or coherence. But with Gemini Live, the experience was remarkably fluid.
Right at the start, I explained to Gemini Live that I was in a museum, and it had to take notes for all the things I said out loud. For good measure, I asked it to be less verbose with responses because I didn’t want other visitors to be disturbed by Gemini talking back. I could use my headphones, sure, but I didn’t want to be isolated in a museum setting.
I simply spoke, and Gemini transcribed my words correctly and transformed my thoughts into well-structured text. I was surprised to find out that Gemini understood the context of the names. When I mentioned “ENIAC,” regarded as the first computer, or a mainframe like “UNIVAC,” Gemini identified and noted the names appropriately.
It even had the correct spellings of German engineer “Konrad Zuse” even though my pronunciation of the German name wouldn’t have been very accurate. And names like the “Cray-1” supercomputer or “PDP-8” were correctly identified and stylized accordingly.
The hands-free approach made it possible for me to walk around the museum, click on photos, and quickly resume Gemini Live to speak to it every time I spotted something that I wanted to learn more about. Pausing after each voice input helped me avoid Gemini picking up any background chatter or audio from some video exhibits. If I was taking notes in isolation, I would probably leave the session on for the entire period.
What helps is that Gemini isn’t just limited to plain transcription—it also has refined natural language processing capabilities that allow it to understand the context of my speech. Plus, because of its conversational nature, I can speak naturally, pause to think, or correct myself. It feels less like dictation and more like thinking out loud with a very efficient transcriber.
Turning Your Notes into Useful AI Summaries
Capturing notes efficiently is only half the battle. The real value—and the real time-saving—comes when you may quickly extract insights, key points, and actionable items from that data. Gemini helps you avoid sifting through notes or listening back to long audio files.
Once I ended my round, I asked Gemini Live to wrap up and got a summary of my on-the-go captures—easy to digest and review later. I could feed it into Microsoft Word or Google Docs if I had to write a story about my visit, get a bullet point summary of the exhibits from Gemini, or ask it for suggestions for further reading on the topic.
The coherent summation of the voice notes also enables me to revisit the notes without having to wade through extensive text or playing back the audio captured. In addition, by digesting the information and presenting it in a structured format, Gemini helped me recall details and follow up on action items at a quick glance.
Expanding Your AI Note-Taking Horizons
The final piece of the puzzle is exploring the limitless potential of AI-driven note-taking beyond the basics.
The bigger picture here is the evolution of AI-powered note-taking towards creating a true second brain. This isn’t just about storing information; it’s about having an intelligent system that helps you offload memory, connect disparate ideas, and actively process information to surface what’s relevant.
Beyond my core method, there are other approaches you could try. After Gemini Live, I experimented with Copilot, and that worked well for me as well. I don’t use Google Keep for note-taking, but that integrates with Gemini much better on an Android smartphone. If you’re already invested in Keep or other note-taking or knowledge management tools, you might want to explore their native AI features as well.
Additionally, sometimes you need to make something substantial from your raw notes, like minutes of a meeting, a report of a field visit, or a social media or blog post. You can alsouse AI-powered writing assistantsto help you take those initial thoughts and expand, rephrase, or structure them into more polished content.
My final tip is to experiment and customize. Take inspiration from my experiment and choice of tools, but the real magic happens when you find (or build) a note-taking workflow that perfectly fits your individual needs and preferences.
How I Use AI to Improve My Knowledge Management Base
Notes that think back? Yes, please.
Using AI tools for note-taking isn’t just about saving time—it’s about reclaiming your focus. The power of AI to provide instant capture of those on-the-go moments and then share smart, actionable summaries later is undeniable. It’s about working smarter, not harder.
My workflow, centered around quick voice capture with Gemini Live and then using Gemini for summarization and processing, has personally saved me a huge amount of time. But it’s just one approach in a rapidly expanding universe of AI-powered note-taking tools. What works best for you will depend on your specific needs and how you work.
