How To Build Your Zettelkasten to Master AI • Zettelkasten Method
How To Build Your Zettelkasten to Master AI • Zettelkasten Method
Those who don’t learn to use AI, won't be able to keep pace with those who do. I strongly hold the belief that the same is true for the Zettelkasten Method.
Howdy, Stranger!
Comments
@Sascha asked:
A suggestion about the general relationship: Here you have two kinds of creativity: human and artificial.
I agree with what you are saying, though I feel that it doesn't go in the direction of what I am seeking. However, your post sparked two ideas.
I am a Zettler
@Sascha said:
"Garbage in, garbage out"? You could get a similar result with a Zettelkasten, if you wanted, I guess...
@Andy said:
Over time, a Zettelkasten, and the creative products created with it, should reflect the personal growth of the person using it. I like the posts of the 2025 version of @Sascha much, much more than the 2015 version of Sascha, who, in my view, was closer to that 16-year-old drunk guy.
A part of the authenticity of your blog and forum posts is that we can see the growth of your wisdom over time, which is not just attributable to the growth of information in your Zettelkasten, but is also due to your life experiences and reflective practice.
I think using of AI is a new version of "collector's fallacy" we have tried to fight in this forum.
A new falling into the trap of shallow processing because we think we must process a lot and we don't have enough time to do it.
I'm using ChatGPT for something, but for a very limited scope. For example when I am blocked by a blank page syndrome, or when I need a fast response from a search engine (for example, "What is the book with this ISBN about in brief?" "what is the difference between Agentic AI and Conversational AI"?
I'm trying to scope use of AI to low value thinking tasks. The other tasks are valuable if they engage my brain, not if they provide an output.
Fair warning. We will actually also get exactly that. I recall having read someone describe their workflow as shoveling URLs through their LLM assistant to generate notes. Not in Zettelkasten context, but personal knowledge management nevertheless. The temptation to summarize 20 open Firefox tabs is just like the temptation to shovel them into Evernote "for later". Might as well save the energy and water for something worthwhile.
Author at Zettelkasten.de • https://christiantietze.de/
Yes, but why is that garbage? I don't think that I could manage to abuse my Zettelkasten for this, because I can't abuse myself. After all, I will be the one who is doing the processing.
Very true.
@andang76 You are highlighting the problem that the key metrics of knowledge work are not in place. The key metrics are internal: Created or recreated ideas and their quality. (~creation and learning) Using AI to bypass both creation and learning means to defy the very purpose of knowledge work.
I am a Zettler