Provides two transcription options:
1. Browser Whisper (Offline, Batch) - RECOMMENDED
- 100% offline, zero network calls
- HIPAA-compliant, audio never leaves device
- Highest accuracy (Whisper)
- Processes after recording (batch mode)
- Models self-hosted, bundled in v2
2. Web Speech API (Real-time, Streaming) - EXPERIMENTAL
- Real-time transcription (see words as you speak)
- Uses browser's built-in speech recognition
- ⚠️ Sends audio to cloud (Chrome/Edge → Google)
- ⚠️ NOT HIPAA-compliant
- Requires user consent with clear warnings
Features:
- Settings UI for both options
- Clear privacy warnings for Web Speech
- Mutual exclusion (only one active at a time)
- Browser detection shows which provider is used
- Confirmation dialog before enabling Web Speech
Use Cases:
- Clinical/HIPAA: Use Browser Whisper only
- Personal/Non-clinical: Can use Web Speech for real-time feedback
- Maximum privacy: Browser Whisper (offline)
- Maximum speed: Web Speech (if privacy not required)
Implementation:
- speechRecognition.js: Web Speech API wrapper
- transcriptionSettings.js: Settings UI handler
- Privacy info displayed per browser
User can choose based on their privacy vs. speed preference.
REALITY CHECK: Browser Whisper CDN loading cannot work in all environments
- Corporate firewalls block cdn.jsdelivr.net
- Network proxies filter JavaScript CDN
- Workers + importScripts + cross-origin = blocked by CSP/CORS
SOLUTION: Graceful degradation
- Clear user-friendly error messages
- Automatic fallback to server transcription
- Warning banner in Settings if CDN blocked
- Comprehensive troubleshooting documentation
Changes:
- browserWhisper.js: Show toast on worker error, fallback gracefully
- app.js: Display CSP warning banner on preload failure
- settings.html: Add warning about network/firewall requirements
- BROWSER_WHISPER_TROUBLESHOOTING.md: Complete guide for users
Key Message:
Browser Whisper is OPTIONAL. Server transcription (Google/AWS/OpenAI)
is the primary method and works everywhere. Browser Whisper is a
privacy-focused bonus feature that requires CDN access.
User Experience:
- If CDN works: Great! Browser Whisper available
- If CDN blocked: No problem! Server transcription works perfectly
- Clear messaging: User knows what to expect
Backend (src/routes/learningAI.js):
- POST /api/admin/learning/ai-generate
* Accepts: topic text, uploaded file (PDF/TXT/MD/HTML), or Nextcloud WebDAV path
* Extracts text from PDFs via pdf-parse; plain text read directly
* Fetches WebDAV files using stored Nextcloud credentials
* Prompts AI to return structured JSON: title, subject, body (HTML), questions[]
* Strips code fences, falls back to regex JSON extraction if needed
- POST /api/admin/learning/ai-refine — refine existing body with instructions
- GET /api/admin/learning/webdav-browse — PROPFIND-based Nextcloud file browser
- POST /api/admin/learning/webdav-path — save user's default browse path
Frontend:
- AI Generate button in CMS editor header (gradient purple→blue)
- Panel with 3 source tabs: By Topic / Upload File / Nextcloud
- Drag-and-drop file dropzone with DataTransfer API support
- WebDAV file browser: navigate folders, select files, breadcrumb path
- Options: question count, content type (article/quiz/pearl), model selector, instructions
- Refine Current Body: prompt-driven AI rewrite of existing content
- Generated content auto-fills title, subject, type, Tiptap body, quiz questions
Settings:
- Nextcloud section: "Learning Hub Default Browse Path" field (shown when connected)
- Saves to webdav_learning_path column via /api/admin/learning/webdav-path
DB: ALTER TABLE users ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS webdav_learning_path TEXT
