-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 48
Home
Introducing Open Notebook: A Privacy-Focused, Open Source Alternative to Notebook LM
Since I was young, I've been passionate about learning. As a self-taught learner, I've always believed that the pursuit of knowledge should be accessible to everyone, not just a privileged few.
I used to have piles of notebooks filled with sketches, drafts, and scattered ideas. Early on, I discovered that teaching others was the best way to deepen my own understanding. I was the kid who would follow family members around, excitedly explaining the latest concept I'd learned, even if they weren't particularly interested. At 17, I took my first formal step into teaching as a programming instructor. That experience not only expanded my technical skills but also helped me conquer my shyness.
My journey through the world of education has taken me many places, including founding Skore, a company dedicated to making learning more effective and engaging. While I was proud of what we built and the partnerships we formed, I often felt unfulfilled. It was fantastic to collaborate with major companies on corporate learning strategies, but I couldn’t ignore a core truth: how many of those millions of training hours were spent by people who genuinely wanted to learn? Not many.
I believe that genuine curiosity is essential for meaningful learning. After my chapter with Skore ended, I realized I still had more to contribute to this mission. Today, I'm excited to bring that same dedication to a new frontier with Open Notebook—an open-source, privacy-focused research assistant designed to put the power back into the hands of learners.
I was initially intrigued by Google's release of Notebook LM, which was a promising step toward an AI-based research platform. However, I felt there was more to achieve, particularly regarding privacy, openness, and true customization. I decided to take on the challenge myself by building an open-source alternative that aligns with these values.
In the past, being a self-taught learner felt unique, almost like a superpower. People often asked, "How did you learn this so quickly?" But today, self-directed learning is no longer optional—it’s essential. We are in the midst of one of the greatest transformations in history, and now, more than ever, the ability to learn is a necessity for everyone. And I want to contribute to that transformation for as many people as possible.
That’s why Open Notebook is open source.
Open Notebook draws inspiration from some of my personal heroes, like Richard Feynman, whose approach to learning—through curiosity and breaking down complex topics—resonates deeply with me. I also incorporate techniques like Zettelkasten, which emphasizes structured knowledge management and connecting ideas. These philosophies have shaped what I plan this project to become and they plant the seed for what it already is: an open-source, privacy-focused research assistant that provides the power of AI-assisted note-taking—without handing over your data to a large corporation.
In today’s AI-driven world, access to powerful knowledge tools shouldn’t be limited to tech giants or come at the cost of privacy.
Open Notebook allows you to manage your research, create and refine AI-powered notes, and interact seamlessly with your content, all while keeping you in control. No compromises. No more giving Google more data. Just your research, your insights, on your terms.
Open Notebook is built to be versatile and powerful, so you can focus on learning and thinking without distractions. Here’s what makes it special:
- Multi-Notebook Support: Organize your research across multiple notebooks with ease.
- Broad Content Integration: Whether it’s links, PDFs, PowerPoint presentations, YouTube videos, or pasted text—Open Notebook handles it all. (Support for audio and video files coming soon!)
- AI-Powered Notes: Write your own notes or let the AI generate insights for you.
- Recursive Summarization: Easily break down large documents into manageable insights.
- Integrated Search Engines: With built-in full-text and vector search, finding what you need has never been easier.
- Fine-Grained Context Control: You decide what information the AI can access, so your privacy and data usage remain under your control.
We’re constantly evolving, and the latest release brings even more flexibility:
- Transformations: Extract more value from your content with customizable insights. Transformations help you convert raw content into detailed analyses, summaries, or even articles—all tailored to your needs.
- Multiple AI Providers: Now compatible with OpenAI, Anthropic, Vertex AI, and more, ensuring flexibility no matter your setup.
The Notebook Page is designed to streamline your research in a way that makes sense:
- Sources: Gather and manage all your research materials.
- Notes: Write notes yourself or let the AI assist you.
- Chat: Chat directly with the AI, using your content to generate context-aware responses.
With flexible context management, you can decide how much information to share with the AI—from nothing at all to full context—to strike the balance between efficiency and cost control.
We’re already working on some exciting new capabilities:
- Podcast Generator: Convert your notes into podcast episodes.
- Enhanced Citations: Improved formatting and easier citation control.
- Multiple Chat Sessions: Juggle different discussions across notebooks seamlessly.
These upcoming features, combined with our existing powerful tools, will help make research more accessible, insightful, and efficient for everyone.
Open Notebook is more than just a product—it’s a community. We believe in open collaboration and invite you to contribute, whether it’s improving the UI, fixing bugs, or developing new features. If you’re as excited about democratizing research tools as we are, let’s build something amazing together!
Check out our CONTRIBUTING page for more information.
Get Started Today
Ready to take control of your research? Open Notebook is available now on GitHub. Set it up, customize your workflows, and start exploring insights—all while keeping your data safe. Visit our Setup Guide to get started!
Together, we can create a research tool that respects privacy, is open to all, and empowers individuals to discover, learn, and grow without restrictions. Let’s make learning open for everyone. ✨