A DEVONthink User’s AI Workflow

Access to external AI is an optional part of DEVONthink and now DEVONthink To Go. But some people have wondered, “Well, what would I actually use it for?” On the Mac Power Users forum, a user posted her real-world use case, which is an excellent example of how AI can be used.

First check out the post from @krocnyc. She relates using AI in our desktop app to process emails and other documents. It’s not only a witty and enjoyable read, it also serves as an excellent example of what can be done with some diligent AI prompting. She also nicely cross-posted some on our forums. There are two important takeaways…

• Asking the AI for effective ways to talk to it. Something we also covered in the Getting Started > AI in Practice > Get to know your AI section of the built-in Help and user handbook, let the AI recommend or create the prompt for you. Ask it how it wants to be prompted.
• Simple questions only need simple prompts, i.e., the infamous “Why is the sky blue?” question. If you need more details, formatting, etc., specificity is the key. In the details of her email processing, you see very clear and structured requirements laid out. Remember serious prompting is an iterative process, examining results, fine-tuning the query, and retesting.

While you may not need to do the specific tasks shown in the post, it does show how AI can effectively be used directly inside your databases.

(Image created by a Gemini image prompt, via @krocnyc)

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