What is Aiko?
Aiko is an AI-powered audio transcription tool, developed by Sindre Sorhus. It capitalize on the powerful capabilities of OpenAI's Whisper model to convert spoken words to written text directly on the user's device. Aiko can transcribe audio from various engagements such as meetings and lectures. It executes the transcription purely on the user's device, thereby enforcing the complete privacy of the user.
What are the key features of Aiko?
Aiko hosts a variety of features. It can transcribe audio in 100 different languages and supports audio and video files. The transcriptions can be exported to diverse formats like JSON, CSV, and subtitles. There are no editing capabilities within the app, but users are encouraged to export and edit the transcription in a suitable text editor. It also has support for Shortcuts, and it divides transcription text by sentences. Despite its straightforwardness, for advanced needs, users can seek out MacWhisper, which is an alternative tool from the same developer.
Is Aiko compatible with both iOS and macOS?
Yes, Aiko is compatible with both iOS and macOS devices. The users can easily drag and drop audio files or share recordings from apps like Voice Memos and Telegram directly into the app for transcription.
What formats does Aiko support for exporting transcriptions?
Aiko supports exporting transcriptions to many different formats, which includes JSON, CSV, and subtitles.
Does Aiko support transcription in multiple languages?
Yes, Aiko supports transcription in multiple languages. Powered by OpenAIβs Whisper model, Aiko can process audio transcription in a hundred different languages.
What is the use of Shortcuts in Aiko?
The Shortcuts in Aiko provides an innovative way for users to integrate Aiko's functionalities into their workflows, providing a more seamless transcription experience.
How does Aiko ensure user privacy?
User privacy is a core feature of Aiko. All transcriptions are processed directly on the user's device, eliminating the necessity for data transfer to external servers or third-party processors. This ensures that all transcriptions remain private and secure.
Can you edit transcriptions directly in Aiko?
No, Aiko does not offer an option to edit transcriptions directly within the app. However, users are encouraged to export and edit the transcription in a proper text editor.
What alternative AI tools are available for more advanced transcription needs?
For more advanced transcription needs, MacWhisper is suggested as an alternative tool from the same developer. MacWhisper provides additional features like improved performance on iOS with CoreML and batch conversion capabilities.
Does Aiko support live transcription or diarization?
Currently, Aiko does not provide support for live transcription or diarization. Transcriptions can be obtained by recording the audio first and then transcribing it using the app. However, the developer intends to look into these features but will prioritize features based on demand.
What improvements are planned for Aiko?
There are several improvements planned for Aiko such as batch conversion, improved performance on iOS thanks to CoreML, export to karaoke file, and an integration with ChatGPT.
How can users request new features or report bugs?
Users can request new features, report bugs or give feedback directly on the Sindre Sorhus' website. The feedback product should be stated as 'Aiko'.
How is Aiko different from built-in transcription on Apple devices?
Aiko has several advantages over the built-in transcription on Apple devices. Primarily, it offers a much better accuracy, supports more languages, can transcribe both audio and video files, and also provides the ability to export transcriptions to many different formats like JSON, CSV, and subtitles.
Why does transcription with Aiko take so long?
The time taken to generate a transcription with Aiko depends on various factors. These include the performance of the device being used for transcription, the amount of available memory and CPU. However, the developer of Aiko plans on significantly increasing the speed of transcription in the coming months.
Can you remove languages from Aiko to save space?
No, it is not possible to remove some languages from Aiko to save space. The languages are all stored together in a way which makes it impossible to remove some of them.
How can users transcribe audio from the Voice Memos app or Telegram using Aiko?
For transcribing audio from the Voice Memos app on macOS, the user simply needs to drag and drop the memo into the Aiko window. On iOS, the user needs to tap the memo, tap the '...' button, tap 'Share', and choose Aiko in the app list. For a Telegram Voice Note, since macOS/iOS cannot handle the Ogg format in which the notes are stored, a user needs a workaround which involves converting the format of the file to 'AAC' before Aiko can transcribe it.
Can Aiko transcribe a Zoom meeting?
Although Aiko does not yet support live transcription, users can record a Zoom meeting and after the meeting is finished, drop the recording into the Aiko window to transcribe it.
Is Aiko free to use?
Yes, Aiko is free. It was developed with the joy of making apps and does not feature advertisements.
How can users translate the app into their local language with Aiko?
Currently, there are no immediate plans to localize the app in different languages.
Where can users check for updates or new versions of Aiko?
Users can check for updates or new versions of Aiko on the App Store. There is also a Version History tab available for users to understand the changes and improvements in the software over time.