Why your notes app may matter more than your AI

Artificial intelligence is everywhere these days. It can write emails, summarize documents, answer questions, and even help organize our lives. But there’s one important fact that’s easy to overlook: the quality of AI’s answers depends heavily on the quality of the information you give it.

That brings us to an unexpected question. What notes app are you using?

For years, people have stored information in digital notebooks like Microsoft OneNote, Apple Notes, Evernote, and Notion. These are all capable tools. But the rise of AI has changed the conversation. Increasingly, people want software that doesn’t just store their information, but lets AI read and understand it.

One application gaining a following is Obsidian.

Unlike most note-taking apps, Obsidian stores everything as simple text files, using a format called Markdown. That may not sound exciting, but it carries a real advantage. Because the files are plain text, AI systems can read them effortlessly. There’s no proprietary database to unlock and no complicated export process to wrestle with.

Imagine having years of notes — about your business, your hobbies, your projects, your personal research — all stored in a format an AI assistant can instantly search and understand.

Need to find a procedure you wrote three years ago? The AI can locate it. Need to summarize meeting notes from the past six months? Done. Need help writing a newsletter, building a presentation, or organizing a project? The AI can draw on your own notes as reference material.

This is where personal knowledge management is heading.

Many people assume AI is mostly about finding information on the internet. More and more, though, the most valuable information is the information you already own. Your notes, experiences, research, and observations are often worth more than anything a web search will turn up.

Plain-text notes have another advantage: longevity. Software companies come and go, but text files have stayed readable for decades. If a company changes direction, raises its prices, or shuts down entirely, your information stays right where you left it.

For business owners, that’s especially valuable. Picture separate folders for clients, procedures, marketing ideas, equipment research, meeting notes, and project documentation — with an AI assistant able to search, summarize, and organize all of it, without locking you into a single vendor’s ecosystem.

None of this means you should abandon your current app tomorrow. Apple Notes is still excellent for many iPhone users. OneNote remains a strong choice for anyone invested in Microsoft. Notion offers impressive collaboration features.

But if you’re thinking ahead to how AI will work with your personal knowledge over the next decade, it’s worth asking a simple question: does my notes app store information in a way AI can easily understand?

As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, the winner may not be the app with the most features. It may be the one that gives you the most control over your own information.

Sometimes the smartest AI strategy starts with something as simple as a folder full of text files.

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Deryck Burnett is the owner of Megabite Services in Fernandina Beach, where his team has been helping Nassau County residents and businesses with technology for nearly two decades. For questions or comments, visit Megabite.