Done Asking and Forgetting?

ChatGPT, Perplexity—these chatty AI tools look cool, but when it comes to handling documents, they’re kinda off. My usual routine? Start a new chat, toss in a document, ask a question, grab the answer, and bounce. It’s like ordering takeout: you eat, you leave, and nothing sticks.

But here’s the thing—does this “quick Q&A” vibe really work for folks who need to manage knowledge deeply?

Use It and Lose It

Upload a doc, ask a question, get an answer—and then what? The chat history’s like a pile of scrap paper; who’s gonna dig through that? AI’s got a sharp brain but won’t help me stash my knowledge. Such a waste!

Too Many Docs? It’s Lost

A few documents? Sure, toss ‘em in, ask away, no sweat. But dozens, hundreds, or more? Come on, these tools just freeze up. Need something? You’re stuck asking one by one, and AI won’t bother sorting the mess.

Documents Turn into Black Holes

Some tools—like ChatGPT’s Project or Perplexity’s Spaces—at best give you a link to a cited document to dig through yourself (pretty sloppy), but jumping straight to the cited original? Sorry, no way. What’s behind it? Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)—think of it as AI’s “answer-finding trick”1. It’s all about nailing the answer fast, but doesn’t lift a finger to help you unpack the document’s good stuff.

👉 Check our open-source project Instill Core supports RAG out-of-the-box—perfect for tinkerers!

Tables to the Rescue

So, if chatty AI isn’t cutting it, what’s the fix? Tables! Don’t treat AI like a one-and-done chat buddy—it should be your handy helper, tidying up and organizing your stuff. Here’s how tables fix those problems:

Knowledge Stays Put

Tables don’t just drop an answer and vanish; they line everything up nice and clear. You can see it all at once and dig deeper with a tap. AI’s not a temp anymore—it’s setting up a knowledge stash you can dip into anytime.

Tons of Docs? No Chaos

Hundreds of documents? Go ahead, throw ‘em in! A table’s like a super organizer, sorting the clutter into neat piles. Need something? Just search, and bam, it’s there. AI even spots connections, saving you the headache.

Bye, Black Hole

A table isn’t just a grid; it puts AI’s finds—like summaries or keywords—right out in the open. You can add your own notes or highlights too. Answers come with backup, and if you wanna trace it, just jump to the source. Documents aren’t hiding anymore.

Real Talk: How Do Tables Help You Master Knowledge?

AI document tools shouldn’t just be “quick Q&A sidekicks”—they should be solid teammates for your knowledge work. Tables are a smart way to go, and here’s how some tools stack up:

AI tool	What the table does	Downsides	Data it handles	Audio/video support
ChatGPT	Reads CSV/Excel, does analysis and visuals	Struggles with big datasets	Mostly numbers	❌
Microsoft Excel Copilot	Makes formulas, spots trends, gives tips	Not a full AI-native table—just a helper	Mostly numbers	❌
Notion AI	Auto-generates and sorts info	Struggles with big datasets	Mostly text	❌
Airtable AI	Low-code organizing, auto-sorts and analyzes	Not super flexible	Text, some images	❌
Instill AI	Auto-generates and sorts, digs out useful bits	Still in the works, not perfect yet	Text, images, audio, video	✅

Most tools stick to numbers or text, but Instill AI goes further, handling image, audio and video too. It’s not just about slapping a table on—it’s trying to build a system where your knowledge sticks around. Take 50 reports, for example: it pulls out the key points, sorts them by topic, and lets you grab more details anytime. Scribble a few thoughts, and you’re suddenly on top of it all. Pretty neat idea, right?

👉 Curious? Check out Instill AI’s beta: