Raycast, the launcher and productivity app for Mac, added a command called Dictate to AI in version 2.11 on 4 November. It takes what a user says aloud, adds context from whichever app is in focus, and sends both to Raycast's AI, so a question can be answered in fewer steps and without the usual copying and pasting between apps.
“so you don’t have to copy text, attach screenshots, or explain what you’re looking at”
Raycast, describing Screen Awareness, in its changelog · raycast.com ↗
The app context can be switched off in the command's settings, and Raycast suggests tying the command to a hotkey such as Control + A. Raycast's Pedro Duarte posted a demo of it the same day, and 9to5Mac covered the launch two days later as the next step after Screen Awareness.
Screen Awareness is the earlier feature it builds on. It can pass app and window details, selected text, the focused control and a screenshot of the focused window to the AI. On Mac it can also take files selected in Finder, and the Browser Companion reads page content beyond what is visible. Raycast built it so users need not explain what they are looking at. It arrived in August and is triggered by double-tapping the right Command key.
Graphic for Raycast's earlier Screen Awareness feature, which Dictate to AI builds on
Image: 9to5Mac
The release bundles other changes: a Dictation AI extension that lets transcripts feed AI Chat and helps users manage their writing styles, a Contacts AI extension for searching, creating, updating and deleting contacts, a menu bar command for tracking AI usage, and better dictation post-processing.
About Raycast
Raycast is an application launcher and productivity app for macOS and Windows, made by Raycast Technologies Ltd and positioned as a richer alternative to Spotlight, with an extension store. It was first released in 2020, and its Windows version entered public beta on 20 November 2025.
The company added AI and sync features through a paid Pro subscription, which The Verge reported in May 2023. This is not the first time its voice and AI tools have changed tier: Raycast 2.0 left beta on 25 August 2026, and Dictation and AI Chat, free during the beta, became part of Pro with a seven-day trial.
Elsewhere in the update, Raycast Notes gained image support and unlimited notes for free users, the iOS app a keyboard with AI writing tools, and the Windows version commands that send single elements or whole windows to AI Chat. Dictation and Screen Awareness are Pro features, free during the beta that ended when Raycast 2.0 launched on 25 August.