Is NovelAI Actually Good Now?

The Nerdy Novelist
29 Sept 202313:53

TLDRThe video discusses the improvements made to NovelAI, a tool for authors that has recently undergone updates. The speaker, who previously criticized NovelAI, has changed their opinion after seeing its advancements. They purchased a subscription and shares their experience using the tool, noting that while it still has room for improvement, particularly in following instructions and user-friendliness for non-technical authors, it excels in generating not safe for work (NSFW) content. The speaker praises NovelAI's text quality and its innovative 'lore book' feature, which allows for efficient use of context without overwhelming the AI. They suggest that for authors, using NovelAI in conjunction with other tools like Claude or Chat EBT might be the most effective approach, especially for incorporating graphic scenes into their writing. The video concludes with a hopeful outlook for NovelAI's future developments and a call for the tool to become more accessible to a wider audience.

Takeaways

  • 📚 The speaker initially had a negative view of NovelAI but has since changed their mind after recent updates.
  • 💡 NovelAI has improved with new features that have led the speaker to purchase a subscription.
  • 🚀 The tool is particularly good for writing content that is not safe for work, such as excessive violence or sex.
  • 🔍 The speaker found that NovelAI's story mode is more suitable for book or short story writing.
  • 📈 The speaker experimented with different settings and found the 'Kara' model and 'Fresh Coffee' preset to be effective.
  • 📝 The speaker noted that NovelAI allows for unlimited words, which is useful for running multiple experiments.
  • 🤔 The speaker experienced some issues with the tool not following instructions accurately, particularly with point of view.
  • 🔄 Despite some shortcomings, the speaker found that NovelAI's output quality is good and it follows context well.
  • 💰 The speaker mentioned that higher pricing tiers in NovelAI allow for more context to be read by the tool.
  • 📔 The 'lore book' feature is highlighted as a useful tool for managing character and world-building information.
  • 👴 The speaker suggests that NovelAI needs to become more user-friendly and accessible, especially for authors without technical skills.
  • 🌟 The speaker is optimistic about future improvements in NovelAI and is looking forward to seeing its development.

Q & A

  • What was the speaker's initial opinion about NovelAI?

    -The speaker was not very kind in their initial video about NovelAI, expressing dissatisfaction and receiving backlash for it.

  • What has changed in NovelAI that made the speaker reconsider their opinion?

    -NovelAI has made a couple of updates that have improved its functionality, leading the speaker to change their mind and even purchase a subscription.

  • What is NovelAI particularly good for according to the speaker?

    -NovelAI is particularly good for writing not safe for work content, such as excessive violence or sex.

  • What was the speaker's biggest problem with NovelAI before?

    -The speaker's biggest problem with NovelAI was that it didn't have a good way to prompt and direct the AI's output, often leading to undesired results.

  • How has NovelAI improved its prompting system?

    -NovelAI now allows users to create a new line and input a prompt within curly brackets, which influences the AI's output direction.

  • What is the latest and most advanced model of NovelAI called?

    -The latest and most advanced model of NovelAI is called Kara.

  • What is the speaker's preferred setting for the AI module?

    -The speaker prefers to set the AI module to 'General instruct' for better control over the AI's direction.

  • What is the current maximum character limit for NovelAI's output?

    -The current maximum character limit for NovelAI's output is 400 characters.

  • What is the speaker's suggestion for writing not safe for work content with AI tools?

    -The speaker suggests writing the majority of the text with other AI tools like Claude or chat GPT, and using NovelAI for specific not safe for work moments.

  • What feature of NovelAI does the speaker find particularly useful?

    -The speaker finds the 'lore book' feature particularly useful, as it allows for organized and efficient access to character, world-building, and location information.

  • What is the speaker's main criticism regarding NovelAI's accessibility?

    -The speaker criticizes NovelAI for not being user-friendly enough for authors without technical skills, suggesting it needs to be more accessible and easier to learn for a broader audience.

  • What does the speaker believe NovelAI needs to improve to be more effective for authors?

    -The speaker believes NovelAI needs to improve its user interface and provide clearer instructions or documentation to make it easier for authors to use effectively.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Initial Criticism and Updates on Novel AI

The speaker begins by acknowledging previous criticism of Novel AI and admits that some backlash was justified. Despite lingering concerns, recent updates have led the speaker to change their view and even purchase a subscription. The improvements are highlighted as making Novel AI more appealing, especially for writing not safe for work (NSFW) content involving excessive violence or sex. The speaker intends to delve deeper into whether Novel AI has indeed improved over the past month.

05:00

📚 Exploring Novel AI's Story Mode and Its Limitations

The speaker discusses Novel AI's story mode, which is suitable for writing books or short stories. They mention their previous issue with the tool's lack of clear direction and how users can now provide prompts to guide the AI. A demonstration is conducted using a chapter from the speaker's own work, with an ending chopped off to test the AI's ability to continue the story. The speaker also talks about the settings, such as selecting the AI model 'Kara' and the 'General instruct' module for better control. They express a desire for longer outputs, as the tool currently caps at 400 characters, which is a limitation they find unfavorable compared to other AI tools they are testing.

10:01

🔄 Iterations and Learning with Novel AI

The speaker shares their experience with the AI's output, noting that it doesn't always follow instructions well, particularly with point of view and tense. They discuss the ease of retrying the process with Novel AI due to unlimited word counts in their plans. The speaker also emphasizes Novel AI's strength in writing high-quality NSFW content and suggests a hybrid approach for authors, using other AI tools for the bulk of the text and Novel AI for specific scenes. They appreciate the detailed text quality and the tool's ability to follow context but highlight the need for better instruction adherence. The speaker also mentions the 'lore book' feature, which is useful for organizing and accessing information about characters, world-building, and locations.

🤔 Challenges and Future Prospects for Novel AI

The speaker concludes with their updated thoughts on Novel AI, focusing on the challenges it faces. They express that while the tool has good models and is effective for NSFW content, it initially struggled with understanding its target market and was difficult to use, which deterred authors without technical skills. The speaker advocates for software that is 'easy to learn, difficult to master' and suggests that Novel AI has potential but needs further improvements for ease of use. They also mention the lack of accessible documentation and the need for the tool to be more user-friendly for a broader audience. Despite these criticisms, the speaker is optimistic about the future of Novel AI, encouraged by the recent updates and improvements.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡NovelAI

NovelAI is an advanced AI tool designed for authors to assist in writing tasks. It has been updated recently, leading to improved functionality and a subscription purchase by the speaker. It is particularly noted for its ability to handle 'not safe for work' content, such as graphic violence or sexual scenes, which is a significant aspect of its appeal for certain writers.

💡Updates

The term 'updates' refers to the recent improvements made to NovelAI that have enhanced its capabilities. These updates have influenced the speaker's opinion, making the tool more appealing and useful for writing tasks beyond its previous limitations.

💡Backlash

Backlash denotes the negative response the speaker received after criticizing NovelAI in a previous video. This feedback, some of which the speaker acknowledges as justified, contributed to their decision to reevaluate the tool.

💡Story Mode

Story Mode is a feature within NovelAI that is specifically tailored for writing books, short stories, or any form of narrative text. It is highlighted as the preferred mode for authors using the platform to write.

💡Prompting

Prompting in the context of NovelAI refers to the new feature that allows users to guide the AI's output by providing specific cues or instructions. This is a significant update from previous versions where direction was vague, and it is used to control the narrative flow in the writing process.

💡AI Model - Kara

Kara is the latest and most advanced AI model offered by NovelAI. It is noted for its high-quality language output, which is on par with other leading models. The speaker sets this model to ensure the best results in their writing experiment.

💡Not Safe for Work (NSFW)

NSFW content refers to material that includes excessive violence, sex, or other mature themes not suitable for a general audience or professional settings. NovelAI is praised for its effectiveness in generating such content, making it a preferred tool for authors who write in these genres.

💡Lore Book

The Lore Book is a NovelAI feature that allows authors to create and store detailed information about their characters, world-building elements, and settings. This information is then utilized by the AI when needed, without consuming too much of the context window, thus aiding in maintaining consistency and depth in the narrative.

💡User Interface

The user interface of NovelAI is discussed as being potentially complex and not very intuitive, especially for authors without technical skills. The speaker suggests that the tool could improve by being more accessible and easier to learn for a broader audience.

💡Control

Control, in the context of the video, refers to the degree to which the user can influence the AI's output. The speaker initially found NovelAI lacking in this aspect but acknowledges improvements with the introduction of new features that allow for more directive input.

💡Beta Testing

Beta testing is a phase in software development where the tool is tested by users before its official release. The speaker mentions being a beta tester for another AI tool, which provides a comparison point for evaluating NovelAI's performance and features.

💡Documentation

Documentation refers to the instructional materials and resources provided to help users understand and utilize a software tool. The speaker criticizes NovelAI for lacking readily accessible documentation, which contributes to a steep learning curve for new users.

Highlights

The reviewer initially had a negative opinion of NovelAI but has since changed their mind after recent updates.

NovelAI has made significant improvements, leading the reviewer to purchase a subscription.

The tool is particularly useful for writing content that is not safe for work, such as excessive violence or sex.

NovelAI now offers different modes, with 'Story Mode' being the preferred choice for book or short story writing.

The reviewer found that NovelAI's previous lack of direction could be mitigated through the use of author's notes and memory features.

NovelAI's latest model, Kara, is on par with other advanced models like Claude in terms of language quality.

The AI module 'General Instruct' allows users to guide the AI to specific narrative directions.

Config presets like 'Fresh Coffee' are designed to handle instructions well and provide a good writing experience.

The reviewer prefers a minimum output of 400 words, which NovelAI currently does not meet, but they are beta testing another tool that does.

NovelAI's output can sometimes misinterpret prompts, assuming actions have already occurred when they have not.

Despite being in beta, NovelAI shows promise and the reviewer is willing to be patient and learn its quirks.

Unlimited word plans allow for experimentation and multiple attempts to achieve desired results.

NovelAI excels at generating high-quality text, even when compared to other models like Chat GPT.

The tool's 'lore book' feature is a unique aspect that allows for organized world-building and character information.

The reviewer suggests using NovelAI in conjunction with other tools like Claude for an efficient writing process, especially for not safe for work content.

NovelAI's user interface and settings may be challenging for authors without technical skills, indicating a need for a more intuitive design.

The reviewer emphasizes the importance of software being easy to learn but difficult to master, which NovelAI is working towards.

NovelAI has a tight-knit community and the reviewer is optimistic about future improvements based on the frequency of recent updates.

The reviewer concludes that NovelAI is improving and shows potential, especially for specific types of writing, but acknowledges there is still work to be done to make it more accessible.