Using AI to generate Anki flashcards has evolved rapidly over the past couple of years. Here’s a look at how it started and where we are in 2026.

The Beginning: ChatGPT Prompts (2023)

The first to provide an Anki flashcard-generating ChatGPT prompt was Jarret Lee in this Anki forums post: Casting a Spell on ChatGPT: Let it Write Anki Cards for You. The idea was simple — give ChatGPT a structured prompt and it returns properly formatted flashcards you can import.

AnkiBrain Add-on

Shortly after, the AnkiBrain add-on was developed, integrating AI directly into Anki’s interface. This made it possible to generate cards without leaving the application.

Current Landscape (2026)

The ecosystem has exploded. Here are the main tools available today:

• AnkiDecks AI — upload PDFs, PowerPoints, Word docs, or even YouTube links and get flashcards generated instantly
• Ankify — turns notes, PDFs, and slides into export-ready Anki decks with card preview and editing before export
• NovaCards — uses LLMs to generate cards from class notes, with a companion Anki plugin for in-app generation
• AnkiAIUtils — AI-powered tools to enhance existing cards with explanations, mnemonics, and illustrations
• Agentic AI approaches — tools like Claude Code can now generate batches of contextualised cards by describing the pattern you want
• MCP interfaces — AI models can now interact directly with your Anki collection through MCP connectors

My Approach

I still prefer writing my own cards for deep learning, but AI-generated cards are great for:

• Quickly converting lecture notes or documentation into reviewable material
• Generating vocabulary cards in bulk
• Creating first-pass cards that you then refine manually

The key is to always review AI-generated cards before adding them to your collection. Bad cards lead to bad learning.