This AI Tool Will Tell You to Stop Slacking Off

Fomi uses AI to block distractions based on context

A new macOS app called Fomi uses AI to analyze what's on your screen to determine if you're working or getting distracted. It aims to solve the problem of context that plagues traditional website and app blockers.

For example, you might need to use YouTube for a work tutorial but get sidetracked by recommendations. Fomi watches everything you do and uses AI to judge whether your activity is productive for your stated task.

How the AI distraction blocker works

When you launch Fomi, it asks about your daily work and the tools you use. To start a focus session, you tell the app what specific task you're working on and which applications you'll need.

As you work, a colored dot and timer appear around your MacBook's notch. The dot changes color based on your activity:

• Green: You're focused on your task.
• Yellow: You've switched to a potentially distracting app.
• Red: You're clearly distracted, triggering an animated tomato to splat on screen with a custom warning.

In testing, the system worked surprisingly well. It allowed reading relevant articles but flagged off-topic browsing on the same website. Users can click a "False Alert" button to correct mistakes.

The challenge of defining "work" versus "distraction"

Zach Yang, part of the team behind Fomi, says defining what counts as work is nuanced. "A content creator might be browsing Instagram for inspiration, which can be legitimate work, but the same behavior can also be pure leisure," Yang told The Verge.

The app relies on you being specific when describing your occupation and tasks to improve accuracy. Yang says his team is constantly working to improve the AI recognition engine.

He conceived the app after talking to a friend studying for an MBA who needed YouTube for videos but kept getting pulled away by recommendations. Yang built a prototype to test if AI models could distinguish work from distraction and found the results promising enough to launch a full project.

Significant privacy concerns with cloud-based AI analysis

Fomi raises considerable privacy questions because of how it operates. The application regularly takes screenshots of your active window and sends them to an online AI model—OpenAI's GPT-4o Mini—for processing.

In tests, the app uploaded roughly half a gigabyte of data during a standard workday. "This application isn't something you should use if your job requires secrecy," the tester concluded.

Yang says the Fomi team has implemented measures to address privacy. Before any data leaves your machine, a local computer-vision pass detects and redacts personally identifiable information like names, phone numbers, and passwords.

• Only the redacted image is sent for one-time AI analysis.
• The company says it doesn't store information on its own servers.
• Screenshots are stored only in RAM, not written to disk.

The app is also distributed through the App Store, not as a direct download, which Yang says helps reassure customers it meets Apple's privacy standards.

Pricing and practical use

Fomi offers a three-day free trial. After that, a subscription costs $8 per month.

Despite privacy trade-offs, the tester found Fomi useful for building better habits. "I really enjoyed having a robot yell at me when I ended up slipping into distraction," they noted, though they were unsure about using it long-term.

The tool represents a new, context-aware approach to digital focus, but its utility depends on an individual's tolerance for its AI-driven, privacy-invasive method.