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Frequently Asked Questions

About Hedy

What is Hedy?

Hedy is an AI-powered meeting assistant that provides real-time transcription, analysis, and personalized insights for your meetings, lectures, and conversations. It uses advanced natural language processing and machine learning to understand context and offer valuable suggestions and prompts.

What inspired the creation of Hedy?

Hedy was born from a desire to help people communicate more effectively and confidently. Recognizing that many struggle with active listening, articulating thoughts, and navigating complex conversations, we created an AI-powered tool to provide real-time support and guidance, empowering individuals to become better communicators and leaders.

How did Hedy get its name?

Hedy is named after Hedy Lamarr, the iconic Hollywood actress and inventor. Lamarr co-invented a frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology that laid the foundation for modern wireless communication. We chose this name to honor Lamarr's legacy and reflect our commitment to innovation, intelligence, and empowerment.

How does Hedy work?

Hedy listens to your conversations through your mobile device, transcribes the content in real-time, and analyzes the discussion to provide personalized insights and coaching prompts. These prompts are designed to help you excel in your interactions.

Features and Functionality

What are Hedy's main features?
  • Real-time transcription
  • Conversation analysis
  • Personalized insights and coaching
  • Customizable perspective filters
  • Meeting summaries
  • Multi-lingual support for conversations with Hedy
  • Desktop browser interface to chat with Hedy
  • Searchable conversation history [in development]
  • Multi-speaker recognition [in development]
Does Hedy support multiple languages?

Currently, Hedy supports English. We're actively working on expanding our language support in future updates.

Can Hedy listen to conversations happening on the same device it's running on?

No, Hedy can only listen to external conversations, not those occurring on the same device where the app is running. Here's what you need to know:

  1. External Conversations: Hedy is designed to use your device's microphone to capture and analyze conversations happening in your physical environment or played through external speakers on another device.
  2. Device Limitations: Due to technical constraints, Hedy cannot directly access or analyze audio from other apps on the same device (like phone calls, video conferences, or media playback).
  3. Virtual Meetings: For virtual meetings or calls:
    • If you're using headphones: Hedy won't be able to hear the full conversation.
    • If you're using speakers: Place your device running Hedy near the speakers of the device hosting the virtual meeting.
  4. Best Practices:
    • For in-person meetings: Simply place the device running Hedy on the table or nearby.
    • For virtual meetings: Use a separate device for Hedy (e.g., your phone or tablet) and place it near the speakers of the device you're using for the meeting (e.g., your computer).
  5. Privacy Consideration: This limitation actually enhances privacy by ensuring Hedy can't inadvertently access audio from other apps on your device.

Remember, Hedy is most effective when it can clearly hear all participants in the conversation, so proper placement of your device is key for optimal performance.

What is Cloud Sync?

Cloud Sync allows you to access your Hedy session history and data across multiple devices. It synchronizes your sessions, making them available on both your mobile app and web browser interface. This allows you to interact with Hedy during video calls or while working on your desktop without needing to look at your mobile device.

You can enable Cloud Sync in the app settings. When you first install Hedy, you'll be prompted to opt-in to Cloud Sync. You can also change this setting later in your account preferences.

Can I use Hedy offline?

Hedy requires an internet connection for optimal performance, as it relies on cloud-based AI models. We're exploring options for offline functionality in future updates.

Why is the transcription slow on my device, and what is "Low Performance Mode"?

Transcription speed can vary depending on your device's processing power. Hedy uses on-device speech recognition to ensure your privacy, which can be resource-intensive. Here's what you need to know:

  1. Transcription Speed: On newer, high-performance devices, transcripts update every 5 seconds. On older or less powerful devices, updates may occur every 30 seconds to maintain smooth operation.
  2. Low Performance Mode: This setting is designed to optimize Hedy's performance on a wider range of devices.
    • When enabled: Transcripts update less frequently (every 30 seconds), reducing the load on your device.
    • When disabled: Transcripts update more frequently (every 5 seconds) on capable devices.
  3. Adjusting the Setting:
    • Go to the Settings page in the Hedy app
    • Look for the "Low Performance Mode" option
    • Toggle this setting on or off based on your device's performance and your preference for update frequency
  4. Recommendation: If you notice slow transcription or your device heating up, try enabling Low Performance Mode for a smoother experience.

Remember, regardless of the update frequency, Hedy continues to listen and analyze your entire conversation. The difference is only in how often you see the transcript refresh on your screen.

Privacy and Security

Is my data secure when using Hedy?

We prioritize data privacy and security. All conversations and interactions with Hedy are encrypted end-to-end, and we employ industry-standard security measures to protect your data. While we use Anthropic's AI technology for advanced analysis, we have strict data handling protocols in place to ensure your information remains protected.

How does Hedy handle sensitive information?

Hedy is designed with confidentiality in mind. Audio recordings are processed locally on your device and are not stored or transmitted. Transcripts are generated on-device and then securely transmitted to Anthropic's servers for AI analysis. This analysis is performed in real-time, and the transcripts are not retained by Anthropic after processing. All data transmission occurs over encrypted connections.

If you've enabled Cloud Sync, your session data is encrypted and stored securely in the Hedy cloud. This allows you to access your sessions across devices while maintaining confidentiality.

What information does Hedy share with Anthropic?

Hedy shares anonymized transcripts with Anthropic for AI analysis. These transcripts do not contain personally identifiable information (PII) such as names, email addresses, or other sensitive data. The AI analysis focuses on the content and context of the conversation to generate insights and prompts.

How does Anthropic use the data it receives?

Anthropic uses the anonymized transcripts solely for the purpose of providing AI analysis for Hedy's functionality. This data is not used to train or improve Anthropic's AI models. Anthropic does not store the transcripts or analysis results beyond the immediate processing required to generate insights for your Hedy session.

Can I opt out of sharing data with Anthropic?

Currently, Anthropic's AI analysis is an integral part of Hedy's core functionality. We're exploring options for more granular control over data sharing in future updates. If you have concerns about data sharing, please contact our support team for alternative solutions.

Is my data ever sold or shared with third parties?

No, your data is never sold. It is only shared with Anthropic as described above for the purpose of providing Hedy's services. We do not share your data with any other third parties unless required by law, and in such cases, we will notify you unless legally prohibited from doing so.

Can I delete my account and data?

Yes, you can delete your Hedy account and all associated data at any time through the app's settings or by contacting our support team. When you delete your account, all your data is permanently removed from our systems. Please note that account deletion is permanent and irreversible. If you've enabled Cloud Sync, deleting your account will remove all your synced data from our servers as well as from your local devices.

How do you ensure compliance with data protection regulations?

We are committed to complying with global data protection regulations, including GDPR and CCPA. We regularly review and update our data handling practices to ensure compliance. You have the right to request access to your data, correct it, or request its deletion.

Usage and Accessibility

Can I use Hedy for both professional and personal conversations?

Absolutely! Hedy is versatile and suitable for various conversation types, including business meetings, lectures, interviews, sales calls, and personal discussions. Select the appropriate perspective filter based on your conversation's nature.

How accurate is Hedy's transcription and analysis?

Hedy uses state-of-the-art AI models trained on diverse datasets to provide highly accurate transcription and analysis. However, like any AI system, occasional errors may occur. We recommend reviewing important points for critical conversations.

Can I share Hedy insights with others?

Yes, you can easily share Hedy insights, prompts, and meeting summaries with others through the app's sharing feature. You have full control over what information you share and with whom.

Is my conversation history accessible?

Yes, your conversation history is accessible on your device. It is also available across devices if you've enabled Cloud Sync. You can review past conversations on both your mobile app and through the web interface.

Technical and Support

How do I provide feedback or report issues?

We value your input! Provide feedback, report issues, or suggest improvements directly through the app's feedback feature or by contacting our support team at support@hedy.bot.

Is Hedy AI biased?

We've taken great care to train Hedy's AI models on diverse and inclusive datasets to minimize bias. However, like any AI system, it may reflect certain societal biases present in training data. We're committed to continuously addressing and mitigating any biases that arise.

Have more questions? Contact us at support@hedy.bot or visit our website for additional information and resources.