Generative AI Cards

Generative AI Cards let you have AI-powered conversations that can automatically generate study materials. Each conversation is saved as a card you can revisit, search, and organize. Chat with AI to explore topics, ask questions, and create flashcards and notecards directly from your discussions.

Screenshot showing the main AI chat interface with a sample conversation, the mode selector dropdown, and the model selector. Highlight the clean, focused chat layout with message bubbles and the input area at the bottom.
The AI chat interface

Setting Up AI

Decks supports two ways to power your AI conversations: OpenAI for cloud-based models or Ollama for running models locally on your machine.

Using OpenAI

To use OpenAI models like GPT-4o or GPT-5, go to Settings and enter your OpenAI API key. Your key is stored locally and never sent to our servers. OpenAI provides powerful cloud-based models with fast response times and excellent reasoning capabilities.

Using Ollama

For complete privacy, run AI models locally with Ollama. Install Ollama on your computer, then configure the endpoint in Settings. Decks will detect your installed models automatically. Local models run entirely on your machine with no data leaving your computer.

Screenshot of the Settings page showing the OpenAI API key input field and Ollama configuration section. Show both options so users understand they can use either or both.
AI provider settings

Chat Modes

Decks offers three distinct chat modes, each designed for a specific learning purpose. Switch between modes using the dropdown in the chat header. Your mode selection is saved per conversation.

Screenshot or short GIF showing the mode selector dropdown expanded, displaying the three mode options: Conversational, Study, and Feynman.
Mode selector

Conversational Mode

Use Conversational Mode for general Q&A and exploration. Ask questions, get explanations, and have natural discussions. This mode focuses purely on conversation without generating study materials, making it ideal for casual research, quick lookups, or when you just want to chat about a topic.

Study Mode

Study Mode transforms your conversations into study materials. As you discuss topics, the AI analyzes the content and generates flashcards for discrete facts, definitions, and formulas, plus notecards for detailed explanations and concepts. Perfect for learning new material and capturing key information.

Screenshot showing a Study Mode conversation where the AI has generated flashcard and notecard suggestions. Show the inline suggestion cards with Accept/Refuse buttons.
Study Mode generating flashcards from a conversation

Feynman Mode

Feynman Mode implements the famous Feynman Technique for deep learning. Explain a concept in your own words, and the AI acts as a learning coach—identifying gaps in your understanding, probing vague language, and highlighting misconceptions. It then creates targeted study materials addressing your specific knowledge gaps.

Screenshot showing a Feynman Mode conversation where the user has explained a concept and the AI is providing feedback about gaps or unclear areas, followed by generated study materials.
Feynman Mode identifying knowledge gaps

Organizing Your Chats

Folders

Use folders to organize your AI conversations by topic, project, or course. Create folders from the sidebar and move chats into them. This keeps related conversations together and makes it easy to find past discussions on specific subjects.

Screenshot showing the AI Cards list view with the folder sidebar visible. Show a few folders with descriptive names like "Biology 101", "Project Research", "Interview Prep" to illustrate organization.
Organizing conversations with folders

Search

Quickly find previous conversations using search. Search through all your AI chats to locate specific discussions, questions, or topics. Results show message previews so you can identify the right conversation at a glance.

Screenshot showing search results for AI conversations, with message previews visible and the search query highlighted.
Searching through conversations

Reviewing Generated Content

When the AI generates flashcards or notecards in Study or Feynman mode, they appear as pending suggestions within the conversation. Each suggestion shows a preview of the content with Accept and Refuse buttons for quick decisions.

Click "Inspect" to open the full review modal where you can see all generated items, edit individual cards before importing, and select which items to accept. This ensures you only add quality content to your deck.

Screenshot of the Content Inspection Modal showing a list of generated flashcards with checkboxes, edit buttons, and the Accept/Refuse actions at the bottom.
Reviewing and editing AI-generated content before importing