Google takes on AI note takers with a Mac app that works offline

Google has introduced Google AI Edge Foresight, a local-first meeting note-taking app for macOS that can operate without an internet connection. Ivan Mehta reports for TechCrunch that the app comes from the Google team behind an earlier experimental dictation tool that used local AI models.

The app records and transcribes meetings across applications, including in-person conversations. It is designed for Apple Silicon Macs and uses Google’s on-device EmbeddingGemma 2 model, which has 740 million parameters. Keeping processing on the computer allows users to access notes while traveling or working in locations without a connection.

Google AI Edge Foresight uses a split-screen layout. Users can write short manual notes in one panel while the app creates AI-generated notes in the other. The software also provides a meeting transcript and lets users ask questions through an assistant powered by Gemma 4.

Meeting notes meet document search

Beyond individual meetings, the app can build a local knowledge base. Users can add PDFs, Google Docs, Microsoft Office files, plain-text documents, Markdown files, and web bookmarks. The assistant can then use material from those documents alongside meeting notes when answering questions during a conversation.

The release enters a crowded market for AI meeting tools. Granola has gained attention for a similar approach that combines user notes with AI-generated summaries. Other companies have also expanded into the category, including dictation company Wispr and scheduling platform Calendly. Productivity company Superhuman, formerly known as Grammarly, recently acquired note-taking startup Fathom.

For Google, Foresight also serves as a practical demonstration of its Gemma family of smaller AI models. The company has not said whether it plans to turn the app into a broader consumer service connected to video calling platforms or its cloud-based Gemini products.