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Building Notion AI: Lessons Learned and Myths Busted with Simon Last, Notion Co-Founder and CTO

Nov 26, 2024

Simon Last, co-founder and CTO of Notion, shares his journey of integrating AI into productivity tools. He discusses the challenges of AI-driven features like the Writing Assistant and intelligent Q&A chatbot. Listeners will learn about the agile 'tiger team' approach that enables continuous improvement and the importance of user trust in AI outputs. Simon highlights innovative evaluation strategies and the significance of metadata for enhancing user engagement. This engaging conversation showcases how Notion aims to automate routine tasks while refining knowledge work.

52:25

Episode guests

Simon Last

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Notion integrates AI as a foundational primitive, enhancing user productivity through customizable tools like writing assistants and autofill features.

The organizational strategy at Notion involves a collaborative 'tiger team' approach to foster AI development and democratize its use across teams.

Continuous performance evaluation of AI systems relies on effective testing mechanisms and user feedback to build trust and ensure reliability in responses.

Deep dives

Building Primitives for Custom Software

The discussion highlights the philosophy of using building blocks or primitives to design versatile tools, allowing users to create custom software adapted to their needs. By breaking free from rigid, vertical tools, users can leverage features like relational databases and various page blocks to enhance their productivity. AI is introduced as an additional primitive that facilitates useful automations, exemplified by AI writing assistants that can autofill content based on user prompts, enhancing the writing process. This combination of foundational elements empowers users to craft tailored solutions within the Notion ecosystem.

Intro

3min

Integrating AI in Database Interaction

12min

Exploring Evaluation Strategies in Notion AI

2min

Navigating AI Fine-Tuning Challenges

18min

User Engagement in Notion AI

5min

Navigating Metadata and AI in Notion

11min

Innovations in Knowledge Work and AI-Powered Development

3min

In this episode of the AI Native Dev podcast, host Guy Podjarny sits down with Simon Last, co-founder of Notion, to discuss the company's innovative journey in AI integration. Simon Last shares the pioneering efforts that have positioned Notion as a leader in AI-driven productivity tools. From the early adoption of GPT-4 to the development of AI Writing Assistant, AI Autofill, and the Q&A feature, Simon discusses the vision, challenges, and future of AI in transforming digital collaboration. Discover how Notion's agile "tiger team" and rigorous evaluation processes drive continuous improvement in AI capabilities. Learn from Simon's insights into fine-tuning models, building trust in AI, and the future vision of automating tedious tasks to focus on strategic, high-level activities.

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hmPIA1cv3Dg

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