What are the basics to know about using WriteMapper's Ask AI integration?

Here are a few frequently asked questions on the integrated Ask AI feature found in WriteMapper.

Q: What's "Ask AI"?

With version 4 of WriteMapper, we've introduced AI capabilities in the app, allowing you to leverage the capabilities of an AI assistant to brainstorm ideas and generate content in the course of your writing work.

Q: How does it work?

WriteMapper's integrated Ask AI feature requires internet access to your AI provider's API in order to operate. You need to have an API key from your provider (OpenAI, Gemini, & Claude are supported) in order to use Ask AI./p>

Q: Do I need to pay for "Pro" subscriptions to use Ask AI?

No, the ChatGPT Plus / Google AI Pro / Claude Pro subscriptions are not needed. You just need to have an API key from your provider, which is priced usage-based or even free, and generally far cheaper than the $20/month those subscriptions cost. For more pricing details, please refer to the OpenAI, Gemini, and Claude API pricing pages.

Q: Where do I get an API key?

Please see this support article on where to obtain API keys.

Q: Can I use the latest models with Ask AI?

Yes, although it may require some additional setup. Please refer to the latest documentation and announcements from your AI provider for the model name and individual settings to configure for Ask AI in WriteMapper.

Q: Is it safe, private, and secure?

Yes — your API key is stored locally on your computer and never sent anywhere else. Data from your AI provider's responses are only saved locally if you include them in your WriteMap document as part of your WriteMap files, and are otherwise never saved anywhere in memory or elsewhere. Requests to your provider's API are sent directly from the WriteMapper app to their servers through a secure connection, and never passes through any intermediate servers or third parties.

Q: What are the current limitations of AI?

All AI outputs are limited and AI continues to be an area of rapid research and development. Limitations in AI as a whole can be attributed to many different causes, including but not limited to: narrow inputs, systemic biases, limited quantity of training or test data, or poor quality of training or test data. As a consequence, Ask AI's responses from AI providers may output incorrect information; may output harmful content when prompted; may not know about recent events occurring in the last 6-12 months and may output inaccurate or outdated results; may contain bias and output biased responses. Read more on safety from OpenAI, Gemini, and Claude.

Q: Is my provider's API down?

Please refer to the respective status pages from OpenAI, Gemini, and Claude, where you may find the operational status of their APIs.