If you’ve ever wanted to write a memoir, this app is for you.
Everyone has a story to tell. And if you’ve been yearning to tell yours — but didn’t know the best way to record all your deepest thoughts and memories — as Katie would say, it’s time to go there.
Whether they’re the cherished recollections of racing your bike around your childhood cul-de-sac, the lessons absorbed from your parents, or the saga of building your career from the ground up, your stories interweave to form the rich tapestry of your life. They’re what make us who we are.
But as life whizzes by, capturing these moments on record can feel increasingly tough, especially if you don’t have a ghostwriter in the family. Enter Autobiographer, the new iOS app that lets you capture the defining moments from your life via audio reflections (which the app converts into written prose), making it easy to preserve and share your tales with future generations.
How does Autobiographer work?
The good news is that you don’t need a degree in computer science to operate Autobiographer. The app is designed — first and foremost — to be user-friendly. (In other words, if you know how to talk on your phone, you’ll be able to navigate the program like a pro.)
You’ll start by initiating a convo with the app’s AI “biographer,” which is trained to guide you through your storytelling journey. It asks intuitive questions to elicit deep and meaningful responses — it’s almost like being interviewed by our very own Katie.
“From the home screen, you tap ‘Start conversation’ and jump into an interaction led by the biographer,” explains Matt Bowman, co-founder and CEO. “You can follow along the prompted questions or direct the conversation as you wish.” After each voice-note session, you’ll receive a written transcript for review, ensuring accuracy and allowing you to edit things like names, dates, or places. These stories are then securely stored in a memory vault, accessible only via personal authentication.
The app offers two types of outputs: short, focused letters and longer, more comprehensive life stories, each transformed into beautifully formatted PDFs that can be shared directly from your phone.
“Our primary user is someone beginning to contemplate their life’s journey and legacy,” Bowman explains. (Think of the incredible retirees you know with amazing stories to share.) This demographic, often carrying rich stories and more free time, can use Autobiographer to document their lives in a structured and meaningful way.
The app also offers a chance for young people to reflect on their experiences thus far, helping them understand their pasts and shape their futures. “It’s an essential step in finding your purpose,” says Bowman, “and deriving the meaning of life.”
How does Autobiographer use AI?
In an age when artificial intelligence is beginning to complement many facets of our lives, it’s heartening to see it bring something as human as storytelling into the digital fold.
A standout feature of Autobiographer is its use of AI to ensure the emotional depth and resonance of the stories it helps to craft. The app employs advanced AI, primarily Anthropic’s Claude 3, which is known for its empathetic interaction capabilities. “Claude 3 excels in creating emotionally supportive conversations,” Bowman says. “It can even offer breaks during tough questions and steer the dialogue toward happier topics when needed.”
To shape its technology, Autobiographer also sought the expertise of notable figures in the field of storytelling: Advisors include Katie Couric, Miles Taylor (a New York Times bestselling author), and Connor Towne O’Neill (an Auburn University English professor and an experienced writer and reporter). These specialists helped ensure that the app is programmed to create authentic, engaging, and well-crafted narratives.
This AI-driven approach ensures that the storytelling process is not just about recording facts but also about capturing the literary essence of your memories. Stories are turned into comprehensive narratives — as professional as the ones you might find in the memoir section of your local bookstore.
How secure is Autobiographer?
Given the sensitive nature of the data shared with it, Autobiographer places a strong emphasis on privacy. The app is built with end-to-end encryption and biometric authentication to ensure that users’ stories remain safe. “We designed it from the ground up to be very secure and deeply private — only you have access to your stories,” Bowman assures.
The app’s architecture, guided by experts including the former chief information security officer of PayPal, underscores its commitment to user trust and data security.
For Bowman, creating this app was personal: He transitioned from a decade-long career in the military, where he served as an Army Special Forces officer, to working in crisis operations and privacy at Facebook. This unique blend of experiences laid the foundation for wanting to build Autobiographer. “Leaving the military and wanting to unpack my experiences was a catalyst,” he shares.
And when it came to storytelling, the loss of his close friends during military service was what gave Bowman a sense of urgency around the project. “I carry their stories and feel a responsibility to share them with their families,” he says. “This app isn’t just a product — it’s a mission to preserve these precious memories.”
