Merlin AI Tutorial | Use ChatGPT in Your Browser

Systematic Mastery
26 Aug 202310:25

TLDRIn this tutorial, the presenter introduces Merlin, an AI browser extension that enhances productivity. Merlin offers features like summarizing YouTube videos, condensing blog articles, and providing instant search engine responses. The extension is compatible with Chrome and Edge, and it integrates with platforms like Readwise and Second Brain for knowledge integration. The presenter highlights Merlin's user-friendly interface and its ability to save time by quickly delivering key information from extensive content. Despite minor issues with the model settings, the presenter finds the Pro Plan, costing around nine dollars a month, to be a worthwhile investment for the time-saving benefits it offers.

Takeaways

  • ๐Ÿ˜€ Merlin is a versatile AI extension that integrates GPT models directly into your browser for ease of use.
  • ๐Ÿ˜ƒ It supports multiple models like GPT-4, GPT-3.5, Cloud, and Llama, with optional web access for better customization.
  • ๐Ÿ˜Š Installing Merlin is simple, available for both Chrome and Edge browsers, making it accessible to a wide user base.
  • ๐Ÿ˜„ Merlin enhances user workflow by offering useful tools like YouTube and blog summarizers, reducing time spent on long content.
  • ๐Ÿ˜ YouTube summarizer offers timestamps and key takeaways from videos, making dense and lengthy videos more digestible.
  • ๐Ÿ˜† Merlin's blog summarizer helps process long-form content by providing a summarized version for quick understanding.
  • ๐Ÿค” Users can interact with summarized content in ChatGPT directly through Merlin, refining or shortening the information as needed.
  • ๐Ÿ˜ฒ The extension also enables users to pull instant search results with summarized answers, streamlining the search process.
  • ๐Ÿ™‚ Merlin's interface allows users to customize themes (light or dark) and preferred GPT model settings, enhancing the user experience.
  • ๐Ÿ˜Ž Users should remain cautious about the factual accuracy of AI-generated responses, as errors can occasionally occur.

Q & A

  • What is Merlin, according to the video?

    -Merlin is an AI extension that integrates with web browsers like Chrome and Edge, allowing users to interact with AI tools like ChatGPT directly within their browser. It supports multiple language models and provides features like YouTube and blog summarization.

  • How do you install Merlin?

    -Merlin can be installed by visiting merlin.48.work and clicking on the install buttons for either Chrome or Edge. After installation, it appears in the extensions section of the browser.

  • What are some key features of Merlin?

    -Key features of Merlin include YouTube summarization, blog summarization, and a search box feature that provides AI-based responses directly from search queries. It also supports multiple models like GPT-4 and GPT-3.5.

  • How does Merlin handle YouTube summarization?

    -Merlin provides a summary of YouTube videos by using the transcript and key takeaways. It breaks the video into time-stamped chapters and provides key points from each section.

  • What is the benefit of the blog summarizer feature in Merlin?

    -The blog summarizer allows users to quickly understand long or complex blog posts by generating a condensed summary, saving time for users who receive many articles but cannot read them all in full.

  • How does the search box feature work in Merlin?

    -The search box feature in Merlin integrates with search engines like Google, providing direct answers to queries without needing to browse through multiple websites. It provides instant responses based on large language models.

  • What issue does the speaker mention about using GPT-4 in Merlin?

    -The speaker mentions that although GPT-4 is set as their preferred model, the interface defaults to GPT-3.5 during use, requiring them to manually switch to GPT-4 each time.

  • What does the speaker use Merlin for primarily?

    -The speaker uses Merlin primarily for summarizing YouTube videos, blog articles, and generating search engine responses. They don't use it for social media or email applications.

  • What is a key caveat the speaker mentions about using AI tools like Merlin?

    -The speaker emphasizes that while AI tools like Merlin provide quick answers, they are not always factually correct. Users should verify information and avoid copying and pasting results blindly.

  • What is the pricing model for Merlin?

    -Merlin offers a free plan with 50 monthly credits and a Pro plan, which costs around $9 per month and provides 2,000 credits. The speaker finds the Pro plan worth the investment for their usage.

Outlines

00:00

๐Ÿ’ป Discovering the Merlin AI Extension

In this introduction, the speaker shares their experience with the Merlin AI extension, a tool they've been using regularly. They walk through the installation process for Chrome and Edge and explain how the extension fits seamlessly into their workflow. The speaker highlights the basic features of Merlin, such as its large language model options (GPT-4, GPT-3.5, and others), web access toggle, and its practical usability over the default OpenAI interface.

05:03

๐Ÿ“บ Summarizing YouTube Videos with Merlin

The speaker dives into the first use case of Merlin: YouTube video summarization. They explain how Merlin summarizes long videos, such as a four-hour interview, by extracting key takeaways and timestamped subchapters. The example given is a video with deep philosophical discussions, showing how Merlin can present concise summaries. This feature goes beyond regular YouTube chapters by offering key points from specific moments, which can be synced to platforms like Readwise for further knowledge retention.

10:04

๐Ÿ“ Blog Summaries: Simplifying Lengthy Articles

The second use case focuses on blog summarization. The speaker uses an example of a long article on psychedelics and demonstrates how Merlin condenses it into a summary. They express how Merlin is helpful in saving time with large articles, although they mention that some summaries might still be lengthy. The tool allows users to refine the summary further by interacting with GPT in real-time to shorten the text, a feature they find quite useful for time management.

๐Ÿ” Enhancing Search Engine Results with Merlin

Merlin's third use case is integrated into search engines, providing users with instant answers to their queries. The speaker shows how Merlin pops up in the search sidebar, offering faster responses than scanning through traditional search results. They predict that AI-driven search engines will likely become the norm in the future, although caution is advised due to the occasional inaccuracies of large language models. The speaker reminds users to critically evaluate AI-generated responses, as the models arenโ€™t always factually correct.

๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Final Thoughts: The Value of Merlin

In conclusion, the speaker reflects on the overall value Merlin brings to their workflow, including its three main use cases: YouTube video summaries, blog summarization, and search engine enhancements. They note that despite some minor improvements needed, such as default model settings reverting to GPT-3.5, Merlin is worth the $9 monthly fee, especially considering the free version's availability. The video wraps up with a recommendation for viewers to try the tool and an invitation to like and subscribe.

Mindmap

Keywords

๐Ÿ’กMerlin AI

Merlin AI is a browser extension introduced in the video, used for integrating AI features such as chatbots and content summarization directly into browsers like Chrome and Edge. The speaker highlights its ability to streamline workflows and improve productivity by providing quick access to AI tools for tasks like summarizing YouTube videos and blog posts.

๐Ÿ’กExtension

A browser extension is a software module that adds specific capabilities to a web browser. In this case, the Merlin extension is added to browsers like Chrome and Edge to enable AI functionalities such as summarization and real-time search responses. Extensions like this enhance the browser's utility by embedding tools into its interface.

๐Ÿ’กGPT-4

GPT-4 is one of the AI models that Merlin integrates into its interface. GPT-4 is an advanced large language model that provides more accurate and nuanced responses compared to previous versions. In the video, the speaker mentions using GPT-4 as the preferred model for summarizing content and answering queries inside Merlin.

๐Ÿ’กSummarization

Summarization refers to the process of condensing large amounts of information into shorter versions. Merlin uses this functionality to summarize long YouTube videos and blog articles. The speaker shows how it extracts key takeaways from content, making it easier to digest complex information efficiently.

๐Ÿ’กSearch Box

The search box in Merlin allows users to input queries directly into their browser and receive instant AI-generated responses without needing to sift through search results manually. This function optimizes the traditional search process by providing immediate and concise answers from AI.

๐Ÿ’กCredits

Credits in Merlin refer to the resource allocation system used to control access to the AI features. Users on a free plan receive 50 credits monthly, while paid users get 2000 credits. These credits are consumed as users perform tasks like generating summaries or asking complex queries.

๐Ÿ’กLarge Language Model (LLM)

A Large Language Model (LLM) is an AI model trained on vast amounts of text to generate human-like responses to various inputs. Merlin uses LLMs like GPT-4 and GPT-3.5 to interpret and respond to user queries. LLMs are central to the AI's ability to summarize content, answer questions, and provide insights.

๐Ÿ’กYouTube Blog Summarizer

This feature of Merlin extracts key points and summaries from YouTube videos and blog posts, helping users quickly grasp the core messages of long content pieces. The speaker highlights this feature as a time-saver, especially for dense, information-heavy materials like podcasts and technical blog articles.

๐Ÿ’กWeb Access

In Merlin, web access refers to enabling the AI to search the internet for answers rather than relying solely on pre-trained data. The speaker mentions toggling this feature on and off, depending on whether they want real-time search results or responses generated solely from the model's internal knowledge.

๐Ÿ’กDark Theme

The dark theme is a visual setting option in Merlin that allows users to switch the interface to a darker color palette, reducing eye strain during prolonged use. The speaker mentions this feature in the context of personalizing the appearance of the extension's interface.

Highlights

Merlin is an AI extension that integrates various large language models like GPT-4 and GPT-3.5.

Users can easily install Merlin from merlin.48.work, with installation buttons for Chrome and Edge.

Merlin provides an interface to select preferred AI models and enables access to web features.

A key feature of Merlin is the YouTube video summarizer, which can break down long videos into key takeaways.

It offers a blog summarizer that condenses extensive blog articles into summarized versions.

Merlin integrates directly into your browser, offering a summary button for YouTube videos and blog posts.

The summarized content can be synchronized with Readwise for better knowledge retention.

The tool can provide short summaries of video segments based on timestamps.

Merlin also provides a search box feature, summarizing web search results instantly.

Merlin allows users to interact with summaries directly via ChatGPT within the browser.

It offers flexibility with dark/light mode and customizable settings like preferred models.

Merlin's paid Pro Plan offers 2000 credits per month, while the free plan offers 50 credits.

The tool can summarize complex philosophical and abstract content effectively.

Merlin enables users to select different models for generating responses, including GPT-4 and GPT-3.5.

It is useful for quick summarization of lengthy articles or videos, saving users time and effort.