Google Foresight: This AI note-taking app transcribes meetings completely offline

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Google Foresight: This AI note-taking app transcribes meetings completely offline.

Imagine your meeting being recorded, turned into text, and summarized – all right on your Mac, without your voice ever leaving for some cloud. That's exactly what Google promises with "AI Edge Foresight," a new experimental notes app. The Verge has just featured it.

The kicker: the model "EmbeddingGemma 2" runs entirely on-device, not on a Google server. For anyone who works with sensitive conversations, that's a genuine turning point – and a stark contrast to note apps that simply don't function without the cloud.

We took a closer look at what the app can really do, what it costs – and where you need to be careful.

What's inside Google AI Edge Foresight?

AI Edge Foresight is a new AI notes app from Google. According to The Verge, it slots in alongside tools like Granola and Wispr Flow: it transcribes your meeting, summarizes it, and lets you jot down your own notes in parallel. The difference from those competitors: Foresight doesn't need an internet connection to do it.

During the meeting, you type short bullet points, and the app turns them into "polished notes" – cleanly written minutes – backed by the transcript being generated alongside. On top of that, the app also transcribes audio files, not just live recordings.

Offline really means offline

"On-device" here is no marketing fluff. EmbeddingGemma 2 runs directly on your Mac, according to The Verge. In concrete terms, that means your meeting content never leaves the device. No server peeks in, no training data gets fed your words, and there's no central storage that could be hacked.

For anyone who has steered clear of AI notes for privacy reasons, this could make entry much easier. If you've already worked with Granola or Wispr Flow, you know the issue: the moment sensitive content hits the table, the cloud solution becomes a liability.

What does it cost – and where's the catch?

Good news: the app is free, at least during its experimental phase. However, there are three points you should keep on your radar:

• macOS only: Windows and Linux users are currently out of luck.
• Experimental: "Experimental" at Google does not mean "finished" – expect bugs.
• TechCrunch preview: The Verge notes that TechCrunch had already featured the app earlier – the feature details are still in flux.

What this means for you

If you've so far avoided AI notes for privacy reasons, Foresight is worth a look. You get AI summaries without giving up control of your data. That makes the app especially interesting for anyone who regularly deals with sensitive conversations.

The flip side: if you're already using Granola or Wispr Flow and have no cloud concerns, Foresight is more of an intriguing test than a reason to switch. Take your time, try the app out in two or three low-stakes meetings before you commit.

Our verdict

Google AI Edge Foresight shows where things are heading: AI helpers that no longer live in the cloud but work directly on your device. The app is free, experimental, and currently available only for macOS. Anyone who has refused to outsource their notes to AI for privacy reasons now has an alternative on the table.

Take that "experimental" label seriously, test the app in low-stakes situations, and back up your transcripts through a second channel. The concept is right – now Google has to deliver.