Ask AI User Guide

Introduction

The Ask AI feature in Ace Chat provides a general-purpose AI chat experience powered by Large Language Models (LLMs). This mode allows users to engage in open-ended conversations, ask creative questions, and receive assistance without requiring specific knowledge sources or web searches. This guide explains how to effectively utilize the Ask AI functionality to get the most out of direct AI interactions.

Table of Contents

• Ask AI User Guide
  • Introduction
  • Table of Contents
  • Accessing Ask AI
  • User Interface Elements
  • Configuring AI Settings
    • Accessing Settings
    • Available Settings
    • Model Selection
    • Brand Voice Settings
  • LLM Model Selection
    • Understanding Model Differences
    • Default Model
  • Asking Effective Questions
    • Query Types
    • Example Prompts
    • Improving Prompts
  • Understanding AI Responses
    • Response Structure
    • Response Actions
  • Persona Integration
    • Selecting a Persona
    • Persona Effects
  • Document Integration
    • Attaching Documents
    • Document-Based Interactions
  • Additional Features
    • Follow-up Questions
    • Conversation Context
    • Query Rephrasing
    • Ace Applications Integration
  • Troubleshooting
    • Common Issues and Solutions
    • When to Switch Chat Modes
  • Best Practices
    • Optimizing Your AI Interactions
    • Use Cases

Accessing Ask AI

1. Open the Ace Chat interface
2. Locate the chat type selector dropdown in the lower middle section
3. Select "Ask AI" from the options (alternatives are "Search Knowledge" and "Search on Web")
4. Once selected, your chat will operate in Ask AI mode, directly engaging with the selected LLM without external knowledge sources or web searches.

User Interface Elements

When using Ask AI mode, you'll interact with these key UI elements:

Element	Description	Location
Chat Type Selector	Dropdown to select "Ask AI"	Lower middle of chat interface
Settings Icon	Access AI model settings	Near the top of the chat window
Persona Selector	Choose AI personality	Top middle of interface
Input Box	Enter your questions/prompts	Bottom of the chat interface
Send Button	Submit your query	Right of the input box
Microphone Button	Enable speech-to-text	Above the send button
Attach Document	Upload documents to discuss	Above the send button

Configuring AI Settings

Accessing Settings

1. Click the settings icon (gear symbol) when in Ask AI mode
2. The AI Settings panel will appear with configuration options

Available Settings

Model Selection

The primary setting for Ask AI is selecting which LLM to use:

1. In the settings panel, you'll see a list of available LLM models
2. These models are configured via LLM Management
3. Select your preferred model
4. Click "Apply" to use the selected model
5. The selected model will appear next to the settings button

Brand Voice Settings

Like other chat modes, you can configure the Brand Voice:

• Toggle the "Brand Voice" button in settings to enable/disable
• When enabled, responses will be delivered in the configured voice style (e.g., typewriter style)
• The "Brand Voice Enabled" indicator will appear next to settings when active

LLM Model Selection

Understanding Model Differences

Different LLM models have varying capabilities:

• Size/Complexity: Larger models may provide more nuanced responses
• Specialization: Some models may excel at specific tasks (coding, creative writing, etc.)
• Response Speed: Smaller models typically respond faster
• Context Length: Models vary in how much conversation history they can consider

Default Model

A default model is pre-configured for Ask AI:

• The default model is set by administrators
• Contact your administrator if you need a different default model

Asking Effective Questions

Query Types

Ask AI excels at various query types:

• Open-ended questions: "What are potential applications of quantum computing?"
• Creative tasks: "Write a short story about a robot learning to paint"
• Problem-solving: "How might I approach designing a user-friendly mobile app?"
• Explanations: "Explain how blockchain works in simple terms"
• Formatting: "Format this data as a table" (with provided data)

Example Prompts

Effective Prompt	Why It Works
"Can you explain the concept of neural networks as if I'm 10 years old?"	Clear request for simplified explanation
"Write a professional email declining a vendor proposal due to budget constraints"	Specific task with context
"What are three strategies for improving team communication in remote work environments?"	Requests specific number of structured points

Improving Prompts

For better results:

• Be specific about what you want
• Provide context for your question
• Specify format if relevant (bullet points, paragraphs, table)
• Indicate any constraints or preferences

Understanding AI Responses

Response Structure

Ask AI responses typically include:

• Direct answers to your questions
• Explanations and context as needed
• Structured formatting when appropriate
• Follow-up suggestions

Response Actions

After receiving an AI response, you can:

• Like/Dislike: Provide feedback (with option for additional comments)
• Listen: Hear the response via text-to-speech (if enabled)
• Copy: Copy the entire response with formatting
• Modify Response:
  • Simpler: Get a simplified version
  • Shorter: Receive a condensed response
  • Longer: Get a more detailed explanation
• Regenerate: Create a new response to your query

Persona Integration

Ask AI works seamlessly with the Persona feature:

Selecting a Persona

1. Click the Persona selector at the top middle of the interface
2. Choose from available personas in the dropdown
3. The AI will adopt the selected personality and response style

Persona Effects

Different personas may:

• Use different tones and vocabulary
• Structure responses differently
• Emphasize different aspects of answers
• Provide specialized knowledge in certain domains

For more details on creating and managing personas, refer to the Persona Documentation.

Document Integration

Ask AI can work with uploaded documents:

Attaching Documents

1. Click the attachment icon above the send button
2. Select document(s) to upload (up to 10MB each)
3. Supported formats: .PDF, .DOCX, .HTML, .JSON, .TXT, .PPTX, .MD
4. Ask questions about the document(s)

Document-Based Interactions

When documents are attached:

• The AI will analyze document content
• Responses will reference specific document sections
• You'll see reasoning steps showing document analysis
• Retrieved document sources will display relevance scores
• You can hover over sources to see specific citations

Additional Features

Follow-up Questions

After receiving a response:

• The system generates 3-4 relevant follow-up questions
• Click any suggestion to automatically ask that question
• Follow-ups help explore the topic in more depth

Conversation Context

The system maintains context throughout your conversation:

• The AI remembers previous exchanges
• You can reference earlier points without restating them
• Complex discussions can develop naturally over multiple turns

Query Rephrasing

If you're not getting desired results:

1. Type your initial query
2. Press Alt+L on your keyboard
3. The system will suggest a rephrased version of your query
4. The rephrased query will appear in the input box
5. Press Send to get a response to the rephrased query

Ace Applications Integration

You can access specialized Ace applications:

1. Type # in the input box
2. Select from available applications
3. The conversation will refresh to use the selected application

Refer to the Ace Applications Documentation for more details.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue	Solution
Responses too vague	Be more specific in your query
AI misunderstands context	Provide more background information
Need specialized knowledge	Try a different AI model or switch to Search modes
Response cut off	Request continuation or ask a more focused question

When to Switch Chat Modes

If Ask AI doesn't provide what you need:

• Use "Search Knowledge" for internal organization information
• Use "Search on Web" for current events or external factual information

Best Practices

Optimizing Your AI Interactions

• Choose the right model: Select models based on task complexity
• Be specific: Clearly state what you're looking for
• Provide context: Give background information when needed
• Use personas: Select appropriate personas for different tasks
• Iterate: Refine your questions based on initial responses
• Combine with documents: Upload relevant files for document-grounded conversations
• Provide feedback: Use the like/dislike buttons to improve system performance

Use Cases

Use Case	Best Approach
Creative writing	Select creative persona, provide specific parameters
Technical explanations	Request specific complexity level, provide your background
Problem-solving	Clearly describe the problem and constraints
Formatting assistance	Provide raw data and specify desired format
Brainstorming	Ask for specific number of ideas in a particular domain

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For additional information about LLM models and their capabilities, please refer to the LLM Management Documentation. For persona configuration, see the Persona Documentation.