Google launches AI Edge Foresight, an offline meeting note-taker for Mac

What is Google AI Edge Foresight?

Google has released an offline-capable, AI-powered meeting note-taking app for Mac, aiming directly at popular productivity tools like Granola.

Called Google AI Edge Foresight, the application runs entirely on-device. This means users can transcribe, summarise, and query their meetings without needing an active internet connection, making it a viable tool for travellers or professionals working with strict data privacy requirements.

On its product FAQ page, Google specified that the app is optimised for Apple Silicon. It relies on the local EmbeddingGemma 2 model, which runs 740 million parameters directly on the user's computer to handle transcription and note-taking.

How does the app work?

The interface heavily resembles Granola, utilising a split-screen design. On one side of the screen, users can type their own manual, shorthand notes as a meeting progresses. On the other side, the AI generates its own structured summary and transcription of the audio.

Beyond basic transcription, users can build an on-device knowledge base. The app allows users to upload a variety of reference files—including PDFs, Google Docs, Microsoft Office files, plain text, Markdown, and web bookmarks.

During a meeting, users can open a chat window with an assistant powered by Google's Gemma 4 model. If a topic arises that relates to the uploaded files, the assistant can reference the local knowledge base to answer questions or verify details in real time.

Why is Google building this?

This is not the first time Google's on-device AI team has experimented with local productivity tools. In April, the same team released an experimental AI dictation tool that relied on local models, though it did not transition into mainstream consumer use.

The launch of AI Edge Foresight appears to be a practical demonstration of what Google’s lightweight Gemma models can achieve on consumer hardware. While this app targets local processing, Google also has the capacity to deploy cloud-based meeting note-taking features across its main Gemini and Google Workspace ecosystems.

A crowded market for AI note-takers

Google is entering a highly competitive and rapidly consolidating sector. The demand for automated meeting summaries has sparked a rush of new product launches and acquisitions over the past year.

Recently, the dictation company Wispr and the scheduling platform Calendly both launched their own automated note-taking tools. Meanwhile, the productivity startup Superhuman acquired the popular Y Combinator-backed meeting recorder Fathom last month, signalling just how valuable these integrations have become to professionals.