AI Doesn’t Belong in Journaling: Gemini, Google’s Journal, and the Case for Analog Writing

TL;DR

• Apple’s Journal uses on‑device machine learning to prompt users based on iPhone content (contacts, photos, music, workouts, podcasts, location data); the author finds this unsettling. The Verge
• Google’s Journal app leans more into AI, with on‑device prompts, AI summaries of entries, and a mood calendar; Gemini is positioned to make journaling easier. The Verge
• The piece argues journaling should not be effortless: a blank page is intentional, and effort shapes meaning. The author cites a quote about inconvenience from Four Thousand Weeks. The Verge
• Handwriting and analog journaling are linked to better memory retention and mental clarity; privacy concerns are raised about AI‑driven journaling. The author recounts personal experiences with both digital and physical journaling. The Verge

Context and background

In July 2023, the author deleted the Day One journaling app from their devices, a decision prompted by Apple’s WWDC reveal of its Journal app. Apple described Journal as using on‑device machine learning to surface prompts drawn from a user’s iPhone data—contacts, photos, music, workouts, podcasts, and location information. The idea evoked memories of the Photos app’s Memories feature, which had resurfaced a photo of the author’s mother at her open casket and led to a visceral reaction. The Verge notes that Google’s Journal demo leans more heavily into AI than Apple’s version, with on‑device AI generating summaries of entries and a calendar view that attaches mood emoji to each day. The goal, as conveyed by Google, is to make journaling easier—akin to how Gemini can simplify other writing tasks like emails and document summaries. The Verge

What’s new

The article contrasts two directions in AI journaling. Apple’s Journal centers on prompts derived from private data locally on the device, aiming to spark reflection without external data transfer. Google’s Journal, powered by Gemini, is described as more AI‑driven: it offers AI‑generated summaries of journal entries and a mood calendar that uses emoji to reflect daily sentiment. The idea, per Google, is to reduce friction and help users write more, while still keeping processing on‑device in theory. The Verge

Why it matters (impact for developers/enterprises)

The piece frames a broader debate about privacy, data ownership, and the meaning of journaling. The author questions whether anything connected to the internet (even when advertised as fully on‑device and lockable) can feel truly private. The concern extends to AI summaries that reduce entries to digestible takeaways, potentially stripping away the value of deliberate reflection. In arguing for analog journaling, the author suggests that “inconvenience” can preserve the intimate, private nature of personal writing. The discussion also nods to demonstrations of AI that prioritize convenience over depth, such as the idea of drafting perfect fan letters in a single step. The Verge

Technical details or Implementation

• Apple Journal (on-device): Prompts based on the contents of the iPhone, including contacts, photos, music, workouts, podcasts, and location data. The system is described as on‑device ML meant to surface prompts rather than upload data to cloud services. The Verge
• Google Journal (Gemini, on-device AI): AI‑driven journaling prompts and summaries of entries, plus a calendar view that assigns a mood emoji to each day. The idea is to make journaling easier and to handle writing tasks with AI assistance. The Verge
• Privacy stance: The author highlights that even on‑device, lockable, and deletable options feel insufficient for true privacy, since nothing connected to the internet is ever perfectly private in practice. The Verge

Key takeaways

• The value of journaling, for the author, lies in deliberate effort and the friction of a blank page. AI tooling risks diluting that process.
• On‑device AI features for journaling are not automatically privacy-preserving in the author’s view; the private nature of personal reflections is central to meaningful journaling.
• Handwriting and physical journaling are associated with better memory retention and mental clarity, according to cited studies, and the author reports personal improvement after returning to analog writing.
• AI summaries can flatten nuance and emotional depth, contrasting with the enduring value of handwritten entries and the personal arc of reflection.
• The piece urges a cautious approach to AI in writing, emphasizing the importance of struggle, time, and introspection in developing thought.

References

• https://www.theverge.com/analysis/764519/ai-gemini-pixel-journal-app