Mediums new app tries to save the platform from irrelevance

Medium has launched a new free writing and note-taking app called TK for its users. The app features an AI assistant integrated into the editor that can answer questions and provide feedback while writers are drafting. TK also enables writers to share their work in small groups, where others can provide comments, notes, or contribute their own writing.

The CEO of Medium, Tony Stubblebine, stated that the app aims to "craft writing that compounds into deep thinking, which creates influence across your entire world." The ultimate goal is to ensure that writing remains relevant in the changing digital landscape. TK has three primary objectives: Easy to write, Easy to think, and Easy to feel like your writing matters.

The launch comes as the internet has evolved. Google, which sends 44 percent of traffic to Medium's articles, has experienced a decline in referrals. Stubblebine warned that this is not only detrimental to Medium but to the broader platform as well. To counter this, Medium is giving writers a way to reach readers without relying on Google, by allowing them to share drafts with people in private groups.

With TK, writers can collaborate with others directly on drafts in a private space, bypassing the need for Google. Furthermore, Medium's AI assistant can provide headline and editorial feedback, compare drafts against Medium's style guides, and pull related notes into summaries. Writers can import their existing Medium archives or bring in notes from other apps like Bear and Obsidian. The assistant can also be integrated with Claude for an outside agent to work with the notebook.

Medium's Libraries will serve as spaces for groups of friends to share work in progress, provide feedback on drafts, and work toward publishing a book. Writers can choose to keep their drafts private, share them with a few readers, or eventually publish them on Medium.

Stubblebine explained that TK is the "gym" and Medium is the "stage." The company's goal is to encourage more writing while keeping AI assistance readily available. Medium recognizes that AI can help with tasks like looking up dates but emphasizes the importance of human creativity and thought in the writing process. The app also includes an option to disclose when AI was involved in the writing and to show the prompts and source material behind the AI-generated content.