Getting started with AirTable AI

Hey @Drew_Nemer! Check out this Guide, as you may be interested in the categorization-type workflows that are highlighted in step 2.

There's also an interesting summarization use case for AI in Automations in this Support article!

Thank you @MaddieJ.  I have been trying to read these articles and watching the latest video. Perhaps my agency's line of work operates on a different agency than some of the examples for AirTable AI that are easily provided. Also, I might be so used to the workarounds and systems I built with AirTable; I may not even be aware of the actual benefits or improvements that AI can even offer.

What I mean is, that my company primarily uses AirTable as an internal process tracking tool. Though we are slowly gravitating to outward communication--we just implemented a Twilio integration for appointment confirmation.  However the vast majority of my role in my company is building tools that will allow for staff to stay on track with their work and also help provide guidance as to how to navigate different outcomes.

My hope is that AirTable AI will improve some workflows that might be overly reliant on automations or heavily scripted formulas, but I guess don't really know how to do anything with the AI.

Here are some things that I am wondering if AirTable AI can do and if anyone can give me any simple prompting of how to configure.

1) I have assigned the Single Select field in many tracking tools to act like a status bar that automatically updates dependent on the contents of specific fields that will ultimately measure where a record is in a specific process.  This relies on heavy coded conditional formulas that depend on what fields are filled out (boxes checked, options selected, inputs) to trigger an automation that updates the status.  I employ a secondary formula field that acts like a guidance tool that is also heavily codedd with conditional statements to tell the user what fields need to be addressed in this status step in order to move on (i.e., Add in the Voucher sent date to move the status to Voucher issued).  Can AirTable AI streamline the making and configuring this process so I do not have to complete such heavy coding, maybe have it intuitively know what status a record should be at or what should come next?  Such as guidance prompts telling users what fields are not filled in, and should be filled in at this step.

2) Two-Way syncing.  Can AirTable AI lend any assistance in developing work flows between two data bases?   I am trying to build one process that tracks staff processing new rental units for occupancy.  This is an interdepartmental process involving W9 approvals, inspections, and contract rent approving--all three have their own separate databases that track these processes.  The goal is that there is a table tracking the processing of new units and upon different statuses it will trigger new connections to these tables--for instance, letting the Inspections department know that there is new unit to inspect, and the AirTable will send this record over to inspections and be able to monitor the inspection outcomes of this unit.  I want to make it clear that inspections are tracking all types of inspections, not just for new units, but i am trying to create a flow that introduces new units to the Inspections department docket of inspections and be able to track the outcomes from the New Unit process AirTable.  My hope is that AirTable AI might be able to simplify the limitations of 2-way syncing where it can recognize that this inspection records are related to the same unit we are processing for a move-in, despite being in different tracking tables.  Right now this is reliant on 2 2-way syncs between tables of different bases.

Who did you pay to get access to Airtable AI??

I'm pinging you separately with a request form for the AI beta! 🙂

@Drew_Nemer thank you for the detail, and apologies on the delayed response!

The new Airtable AI products, which will be released later this month, can optimize parts of these processes. For example, in your first use case, our AI feature that helps you write formulas could help you write complex conditional formulas more quickly. In addition, we will introduce AI suggestions for matching linked records that may apply to these two use cases.

That is all we can say for now until our official launch. Stay tuned for those features and detailed documentation on the use cases coming soon!

Hi Joshua,

I do like the formula editor that has been very helpful.  I have been using that AI for a bit.  It would also be great if the AirTable AI could write scripts as well and be used to apply soft rules to certain fields.  For instance, automatically apply TRIM to single-line fields or proper capitalization of Names

You'll be able to do something like applying a trim to single-line fields! You can see a preview of it here: https://www.airtable.com/guides/scale/how-to-use-airtable-ai - it'll be relatively simple to create an AI field with a prompt to trim, capitalize, etc.

sorry, I know how to do that. I just thought maybe there could be a way that it can be programmed within the Single-line fields.  Sometimes bases I work with amass so many fields just to edit a little thing like trimming white-space, and i was hoping for something that might clean it up without making an extra formula field.  

Can't wait to see this released! 

Ah, I see. That's something I'll take back to the team, appreciate the input as always.