Discover AI Mind Mapping

Biggerplate founder Liam Hughes explores how artificial intelligence is being applied in mind-mapping software. He reviews major products integrating AI, compares their functions, and reflects on implications for users, vendors, and the Biggerplate community. The session balances practical demonstrations with critical commentary on whether AI enhances or risks undermining the thinking process at the heart of mapping. Key Themes & Topics (Timestamped) [0:00] Session introduction – Opens from London, welcoming attendees worldwide and outlining the goal: a practical exploration of AI’s role in mind mapping. [1:53] Liam’s background – Describes his experience as Biggerplate founder and clarifies he is not an AI engineer but an informed practitioner showing real-world uses. [3:37] Purpose and scope – Explains that the webinar focuses on what’s possible with current tools rather than the technical mechanics of AI models. [7:16] AI as microcosm – Positions mind mapping + AI as a small-scale reflection of wider AI trends: rapid change, big claims, and limited clarity on real utility. [9:57] Current functions – Identifies main AI capabilities in mapping tools: automatic map generation, branch expansion, note generation, image creation, and summarisation. [18:18] Demonstration 1 – Ayoa – Shows Ayoa’s AI map creation, branch expansion, and note/image generation features; comments on accessibility focus and neurodiversity settings. [28:57] Demonstration 2 – XMind AI and Mapify – Demonstrates XMind’s smooth branch expansion and discusses the separate Mapify app that converts PDFs or videos into maps, noting user-experience confusion. [37:01] Demonstration 3 – MindGenius Online – Presents MindGenius’s first AI functions for map creation and branch generation; notes slower, list-based process compared with Ayoa and XMind. [40:38] Demonstration 4 – The Brain – Highlights strong AI note generation and summarisation tools supporting personal-knowledge management workflows. [45:05] New entrants – Reviews 4Mind (Turkey) and MindMap AI (Sri Lanka), observing early-stage map-generation and conversational branch-expansion features with mixed usability. [51:15] Opportunities for users – Argues AI can speed idea generation, research, and brainstorming but warns against letting it replace human thought. [52:30] Cautions and ethics – Emphasises the difference between the process of mapping and the product (the finished map); warns that outsourcing thinking removes the learning benefit. [54:41] Reliability and trust – Raises issues of accuracy, liability, and hidden AI sources within maps, especially in academic or corporate contexts. [55:49] Vendor implications – Explores whether AI truly differentiates products or simply becomes another expected feature, and the cost of keeping pace. [59:20] Future outlook and conclusion – Predicts standardisation around core AI functions (map and branch generation, note creation) and calls for users to treat AI as a thinking companion rather than a replacement. Featuring Xmind, Ayoa, MindGenius, TheBrain, Foramind and MindMap AI.