NovelAI Review: Do NOT Purchase Before Viewing

In this video, the reviewer discusses NovelAI, a tool for AI-assisted storytelling and virtual companionship. They note that while NovelAI offers a monthly subscription service with a free tier and various pricing options, it lacks the ability to create a novel from scratch. The reviewer finds that NovelAI's main issue is its requirement for the user to write a portion of the story before the AI can continue it, which doesn't align with the needs of authors looking for a tool to craft a novel. Instead, they suggest that NovelAI is more suited for interactive story gaming experiences. The reviewer also compares NovelAI to Pseudoright, recommending the latter for its superior functionality in creating novels. They highlight Pseudoright's ability to generate a synopsis, characters, and outline, making it a more effective tool for authors. The video concludes with a recommendation to try Chat GPT as an alternative for novel writing.

Takeaways

• 🚫 NovelAI is not recommended for authors looking to write novels due to its limitations in guiding the story's direction.
• 💻 The tool is more suited for interactive storytelling or gaming experiences rather than structured novel writing.
• 🌐 You can find NovelAI at novelai.net, offering AI-assisted authorship and storytelling services.
• 📈 NovelAI provides a monthly subscription with a free tier and paid options that increase memory token limits.
• 🎨 The platform includes image generation, often with an anime focus, and customizable editor features.
• 🔍 Users can utilize AI modules trained in specific authors' styles or themes, but the uniqueness is questioned.
• 💭 The main issue is that NovelAI requires users to write a part of the story first before it can continue, lacking a direct prompt feature.
• 📚 NovelAI features a 'lore book' for character and world information, but it doesn't significantly enhance the writing process.
• 📉 The pricing of NovelAI is considered more expensive compared to using GPT4 through other platforms like chat GPT Plus.
• 🎮 The 'text adventure' feature is more game-like, allowing users to make choices and see how the story unfolds.
• 🌟 For novel writing, the speaker highly recommends using Pseudoright's Story Engine as a superior alternative.

Q & A

What is NovelAI and what does it offer?

NovelAI is a monthly subscription service for AI-assisted authorship, storytelling, virtual companionship, and a GPT-powered sandbox for creative writing. It provides tools for authors to generate text, images, and even text-to-speech content.

How does NovelAI differ from other AI writing tools like Pseudoright?

NovelAI focuses on continuing existing text rather than creating a story from a prompt. It also offers an image generation feature with a focus on anime-style images and has a 'lore book' for keeping track of story elements. However, it lacks the ability to generate a full narrative from a detailed prompt, which is a feature offered by Pseudoright.

What are the different subscription tiers offered by NovelAI?

NovelAI offers a free tier with 100 free text generations, and paid tiers at $10, $15, and $25 per month. The main difference between the tiers is the number of memory tokens, which determine how much of the story the AI can remember for continuity.

What is the 'lore book' feature in NovelAI?

The 'lore book' is a feature that allows users to input and store information about characters and other story elements. The AI can then use this information to maintain consistency and continuity in the generated text.

Why might NovelAI not be suitable for authors looking to write novels?

NovelAI is not ideal for novel writing because it requires the user to start with some written text and then the AI continues from there. It does not allow for creating a story from a detailed prompt, which is a common need for novel authors. It is more suited for interactive storytelling or gaming experiences.

What are the advanced settings in NovelAI and how do they affect the writing process?

The advanced settings in NovelAI allow users to fine-tune the AI's behavior, such as adjusting phrase bias and controlling the AI's chance of generating certain words or phrases. However, these settings are complex and may be overwhelming for users who are not tech-savvy.

How does the image generation feature in NovelAI work?

The image generation feature in NovelAI allows users to create images based on their text. It has a tendency to generate anime-focused images and has been used by some users for creating uncensored content, although it's unclear if this is still possible.

What is the reviewer's recommendation for authors looking to use AI for novel writing?

The reviewer recommends using Pseudoright instead of NovelAI for novel writing. Pseudoright offers a more comprehensive tool for creating a novel, including generating a synopsis, characters, outline, and story beats.

What is the 'text adventure' feature in NovelAI?

The 'text adventure' feature in NovelAI is an interactive storytelling mode where users can input prompts and make choices that influence the direction of the story. It's more akin to playing a game than writing a novel.

Why does the reviewer find NovelAI's name potentially deceptive?

The reviewer finds NovelAI's name deceptive because it implies that the tool is designed for writing novels, but the actual functionality of the tool is more suited for interactive storytelling and gaming experiences rather than structured novel writing.

What is the reviewer's opinion on the value of NovelAI's AI modules for writing in specific author's styles?

The reviewer believes that the AI modules for writing in specific author's styles do not add unique value or significant difference compared to manually inputting the author style into another AI tool like Chat GPT.

How does the reviewer describe the user interface and design of NovelAI?

The reviewer comments that the website design of NovelAI is good and better than Pseudoright's. However, they find the design inside the tool to be somewhat incohesive and lacking in clear navigation for the user.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Introduction to Novel AI: Features and Initial Impressions

The video begins with the host addressing a common question about Novel AI, a tool for AI-assisted authorship and storytelling. The host provides an overview of the service, which is available at novelai.net, and discusses its appeal in the context of other AI writing tools. The tool is described as a monthly subscription offering various features, including virtual companionship and a sandbox for creative writing. The host notes the tool's use of GPT models, though it's unclear which specific versions are utilized. A comparison is made with another tool, Pseudo Rights, and the host praises Novel AI's website design. The video also touches on Novel AI's image generation capabilities, which are predominantly anime-focused, and mentions the tool's past uncensored access to certain models. The host expresses skepticism about the uniqueness of Novel AI's author-style modules, comparing them to manually inputting an author's style into another AI tool like Chat GPT. Pricing details are provided, highlighting a free tier and paid plans with varying levels of memory tokens.

05:03

📝 Exploring Novel AI's Writing Process and Limitations

The host delves into the practical use of Novel AI by creating a new story. They explain that the tool requires the user to write an initial segment of text before the AI can continue the story. This approach is contrasted with other AI writing tools that allow for direct prompting. The host expresses frustration with the lack of control over the story's direction, as the AI seems to generate text without a clear understanding of the intended narrative path. Advanced settings are discussed, which allow fine-tuning of the AI's output, but the host suggests these are more suited to tech-savvy users rather than the average writer. The host also discusses Novel AI's 'lore book' feature, which allows users to input character information and other details for the AI to remember and incorporate into the story. However, they argue that this feature is overrated and does not significantly aid in the novel-writing process.

10:05

🎮 Comparing Novel AI to Pseudo Right and Recommending Alternatives

The host compares Novel AI unfavorably to Pseudo Right, another AI writing tool, suggesting that the latter provides a more comprehensive and useful set of features for novel writing. They describe Pseudo Right's 'Story Engine' as superior, allowing users to input detailed information about characters and plot, which the AI then uses to generate a synopsis, outline, and story beats. The host emphasizes that Novel AI is not a tool for writing novels but rather for interactive, gaming-like experiences where the user can explore different narrative paths. They strongly recommend against using Novel AI for novel writing and suggest that gamers or those interested in interactive storytelling might find it more appealing. The host concludes by recommending Pseudo Right as a superior tool for authors and suggesting that Chat GPT can also be a valuable free resource for novel writing.

Keywords

💡NovelAI

NovelAI is a tool designed to assist authors in writing fiction by using AI technology. It offers a monthly subscription service for AI-assisted authorship, storytelling, and virtual companionship. In the video, the reviewer discusses the effectiveness of NovelAI for authors and compares it with other tools, ultimately finding it less suitable for novel writing.

💡AI-assisted authorship

AI-assisted authorship refers to the use of artificial intelligence to help in the process of writing. It can include generating text, suggesting ideas, or continuing a story based on a given prompt. In the context of the video, the reviewer explores how NovelAI performs in this area and whether it adds value to the writing process.

💡GPT

GPT stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer, a type of AI language model that is capable of generating human-like text. The video mentions that NovelAI uses GPT, although it does not specify the version. GPT is central to how NovelAI functions, as it is the underlying technology that enables text generation.

💡Image generation

Image generation is the process of creating images from textual descriptions using AI. The video script notes that NovelAI has a feature for image generation, which is often focused on anime-style images. This feature is discussed as part of the tool's offerings, although the reviewer does not delve deeply into its capabilities.

💡Monthly subscription service

A monthly subscription service is a business model where users pay a recurring fee to access a product or service. NovelAI operates on this model, with different tiers offering varying levels of access to its features. The video discusses the pricing structure and what users can expect at each subscription level.

💡Storyteller

In the context of NovelAI, the Storyteller is a feature that allows users to begin a story and then have the AI continue it. The reviewer uses this feature in the video to demonstrate how NovelAI works and to critique its effectiveness in storytelling.

💡Text Adventure

Text Adventure is another feature within NovelAI that provides a more interactive, game-like experience where users can make choices to influence the narrative. The video contrasts this feature with the Storyteller and discusses its suitability for different types of users.

💡Lore book

The Lore book is a feature within NovelAI that allows users to input and store information about their story's world, such as character details. The reviewer in the video finds this feature overrated, as it does not significantly enhance the writing process beyond what other tools offer.

💡Pseudorights

Pseudorights, likely referring to a tool or platform for writing, is mentioned in the video as a comparison to NovelAI. The reviewer suggests that Pseudorights might have better features for writing novels, despite not being the main focus of the video.

💡Chat GPT

Chat GPT is a reference to using GPT technology in a chat format, which can be used for writing novels. The video suggests that authors might consider using Chat GPT as an alternative to NovelAI, especially if they are looking for a tool to help with novel writing.

💡Story engine

The term 'Story engine' is used in the video to describe a feature or tool within another writing platform that helps authors plan and generate their novels. It is presented as a more effective tool for novel writing compared to NovelAI.

Highlights

NovelAI is a monthly subscription service for AI-assisted authorship and storytelling.

The service offers virtual companionship and a GPT-powered sandbox for creative writing.

NovelAI's website design is considered better than Pseudo Rights.

Image generation feature is anime-focused and previously had uncensored access to certain models.

Customizable editor allows users to take their writing anywhere with security features.

AI modules are available for writing in specific authors' styles or around certain themes.

NovelAI's AI modules do not offer unique value over manually inputting author styles.

Free tier offers 100 free text generations, with paid tiers offering more memory tokens.

The tool is not effective for authors looking to create a specific book due to its lack of direction.

Advanced settings allow fine-tuning of the model's output, but may be too technical for some users.

The Lore Book feature is overrated and does not significantly aid in creating a novel.

NovelAI is more suited for interactive, gaming experiences rather than novel writing.

The name 'NovelAI' is deceptive as the tool is not designed for novel writing.

Pseudo Rights is recommended over NovelAI for novel writing with its comprehensive Story Engine.

Chat GPT can also be a good resource for novel writing, as demonstrated in other videos.

NovelAI's text adventure feature is more game-like and less suited for structured novel writing.

The reviewer cannot recommend NovelAI for novelists due to its limitations in guiding the story.