Walking into a college classroom today, it is increasingly hard to find students still taking notes with what has been deemed the old-fashioned way—a traditional pen or pencil and a notebook.
While some students take notes with their laptop keyboard, others pull out their electronic notebook and utensil—often in the form of an iPad and Apple Pencil—and start writing.
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This is music to the ears of Steven Chan, founder and CEO of Goodnotes, who is working to reimagine the world of note taking. For over a decade now, the app has helped individuals take notes, study, and stay organized.
“We see ourselves as a digital paper. So, it’s a kind of a very general canvas. You can use it for teaching, you can use it for note taking, learning, doing homework, maybe even doing an exam,” Chan says.
But in conjunction with the rise in AI, the company is on a mission to help students more—by fixing typos, finishing sentences, and solving math problems—and with their own handwriting.
The company—which has 21 million monthly active users around the world—is launching what they are calling the world’s first generative AI for handwriting.
Future of note taking
Minh Tran is the vice president of operations and academic affairs at Goodnotes. He says the digital paper app is seeking to evolve as rapidly as AI is.
The app’s new AI integration allows for Goodnotes to spellcheck and autocomplete words in users’ own handwriting style. Machine learning also allows users to search through their handwritten notes, and the system can even detect if you did a math problem incorrectly.
While Tran says privacy concerns are valid, he adds the company takes security seriously and handwriting data is only saved on individuals’ devices.
“We really think of ourselves as AI-powered, smart digital paper that can understand you,” Tran tells Fortune. “But it’s private to you. So, I think that’s a huge differentiation for us. We care so deeply that our users’ notes are protected, but that they are fully assisted by the latest AI technology, whether developed by us or integrated from other providers.”
Users can also pair their notetaking with audio recording and digital stationary. Tran adds they also hope to expand into having integration where students can add or buy their textbooks.
Chan believes the world of education and studying will continue to evolve because of AI, but he is optimistic many people will still take notes themselves in order to actually acquire the knowledge of what’s being taught.
“We have AI to really help you, guide you through your studies, give you insights for teachers to help you save time. So, we are the most powerful, the smartest digital paper that you can use for different purposes,” he says.
Apple named Goodnotes the iPad App of the Year in 2022.
Tracking the generative AI journey in schools
Earlier this year, Goodnotes sought to dive deeper into the relationship between education and AI through a research study.
In part led by the company’s academic affairs lead, Daniel Emmerson, interviews and discussions were had with stakeholders in the AI and education space, including academics, students, practitioners, and industry advisors to create a holistic report on the challenges, trends, barriers, and solutions.
The results in part cast an optimistic view on the use of AI—noting a consensus of the tech not replacing teachers or creating widespread academic dishonesty. But it also concludes that AI implementation in schools must be conducted with safety guardrails.
“Ultimately, every school we talked to, no matter what type of school it is, speaks about the importance of preparing the next generation for the future of life and work,” Emmerson tells Fortune. “And, according to many of our practitioners, unless you have components of artificial intelligence within your teaching and learning, you need to be talking about digital citizenship and how to use these tools if you really are preparing students for the future.”
The over 100-page report notes students could miss out on transformative opportunities if generative AI is not taken seriously in the classroom. However, it adds there is no one-size fits all approach, and schools measure should how to best evolve lessons and homework to prioritize the realistic future of student learning.
Emmerson says Goodnotes hopes to form collaborations with schools, offer professional development, and share knowledge that helps bridge the gap between industry and education.
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