Universal search is an old dream that many digital companies are trying to fulfill, but as our digital life has ceased to be just files and folders, it has become more difficult to deliver it successfully. In folder trees, we now only have documents, images, etc. but also open tabs, cloud-native documents Content and messages on AirTable, Notion, Slack, like Google or Microsoft…

Dropbox, which has historically specialized in file and folder structures, wants to break through this barrier and unify search across our entire digital life, whether we’re trying to find a photo, video, Chrome tab, Teams message, or email. zoom chat.

Transcend traditional file systems

This story begins long before the internet was overturned by what coined the term “Artificial Intelligence” to coincide with the advent of ChatGPT. This story begins in October 2021 when Dropbox announced its acquisition of Command E. In the same official statement Clarified what Command E can do and here’s what we can expect to come to Dropbox:

Early on, the Command E team realized that cloud-based software meant spreading the business to a multitude of tools and applications, making it difficult to find important content quickly. Based on using keyboard shortcuts to find anything quickly, they created a powerful unified search tool that helps users quickly access everything they need, from finding content in apps to launching workflows, to joining a Zoom conversation with one click. As the productivity software ecosystem continues to grow, Command E provides a vital layer that brings it all together.

the result is called short linea tool we can invoke on macOS from a key combination (you’ll never guess) command + AND. Those who try the usual alternatives to Finder like Alfred; Or any ubiquitous tools accessible with a command like Raycast will find an acquaintance here.

The view that appears when we invoke Dash is very similar to Spotlight on macOS. Image: Dropbox.

Expanded view of Dash. Image: Dropbox.

Promises enough intelligence to guess us based on context. For example, in addition to the command mentioned above, it also includes an extension for our browser that changes our new tab view. With this, we will be able to see what Dash understands that will be useful to us at the moment. For example, Dropbox documents associated with the meeting we scheduled on the calendar ten minutes from now.

The new tab view that appears when we install the Dash extension. It includes a view of upcoming calendar events, contextual document suggestion based on upcoming events and time of day, and a summary of open tabs. Image: Dropbox.

An interesting thing is that not only does it contain the usual file classification in the classic file and folder system, but also delivered to stacks of files that share an extension or other type of attributeincluding context.

This is linked to something that a colleague, Javier Pastor, commented on a few months ago in an article entitled “Folder? What is a folder? New generations no longer organize their files: the search engine finds everything”. In it, he explained that due to the entry of young people into the world of computing, they are no longer as accustomed to this type of file system as previous generations.

The arrival of Dash is largely in line with this understanding: it is no longer so important to worry about creating a file system that gives documents an order, because artificial intelligence and searches will be able to find and display the appropriate documents we need. as of now.

This is a fundamental change to file systems.. Dropbox has spent all these years bringing legacy rankings from local government to the cloud and is now embracing universal search mixed with an AI-based contextual system. In other words: the management of your files, tabs, and documents is handled by Dropbox, not you.

Dash is part of Dropbox’s Pro plans, but is still in private beta with an invite-only waitlist. From xataka We’re not ordering anyone to leave the management of file systems to others, from human to artificial intelligence, at least for what might happen, but each will decide.

Featured Image | Xataka, Dropbox, Mockup Studio.

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