Technology
Algorithmic Research Group releases open-source macOS dictation tool FnScribe
FnScribe processes English speech locally on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs using a bundled Whisper model.
The short version
- Algorithmic Research Group has released FnScribe, a free, open-source offline dictation utility for macOS 13 or later.
- The application processes speech on-device using a bundled Whisper model, avoiding cloud services, user accounts, or external transmission.
- Text is inserted into active applications via keyboard shortcuts using macOS Microphone and Accessibility permissions.
Key facts
- FnScribe is an open-source, offline dictation tool for macOS 13 Ventura or later, licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3.[Hacker News]
- The utility processes English speech locally using an embedded Whisper model and stores transcripts and audio only in memory.[Hacker News]
- Operation requires user-granted macOS Microphone and Accessibility permissions to capture audio and insert transcribed text into active applications.[Hacker News]
- FnScribe was created by Algorithmic Research Group, Inc., which published source code and build scripts on GitHub.[Hacker News]