Afforai wants to be the best researcher's tool and it comes close, but no cigar:
- Using AI on our literature database creates a lot of added value, but rather in addition to Zotero, as it cannot replace well-supported, offline, free, open source software that we use to collaborate. There should at least be a one-way synchronization from Zotero to Afforai.
- As Afforai includes storage, using this as Zotero's WebDAV server and using the same data would be outright amazing.
- The markdown writer is nice but not replacing Scientific Workplace or other LaTeX software. Maybe it shouldn't!
- There is no way to input images, spreadsheets, or sound and video, which is also part of research (AI is doing big things for qualitative research).
- Very soon, AI will do meta-analysis: will Afforai be able to do this or will it be passed away by competitors? If it doesn't do spreadsheets, it won't be helpful for systematic research.
I'd be happy if Afforai just provided insights on my literature. I understand AI can do everything but it comes at a price and it's not possible to replace all tools at once. Yet I just can't give up Zotero and its offline backup of my archive and notes as I don't trust AppSumo products. I could upload my entire library and the app could disappear and take all my articles with it in a couple of months. That's a risk you'd never take for your job.
Now even if all of my skepticism is true, if the app exists for more than a year I'll believe it is worth the try and it's really nice that it has an API with good documentation.