Your first chat

How to start a chat, pick a model or use Auto, add files to a conversation, and fix the common reasons a chat doesn't answer.

What you'll do

Open a chat in a Cloud you belong to, pick which AI model answers you, and send your first message.

Step-by-step

Select New Chat in the sidebar.
Open the model picker. It shows the model you are using now.
Pick the model you want, or pick Auto and let Emerge.ai choose a model for each request.
Type your message and send it.

Choosing a model

The picker groups models by who runs them.

Emerge.ai's own models are in the Emerge Private Hosted and Emerge Fast & Free groups. Emerge.ai runs these itself, so your request stays with Emerge.ai.
Outside providers have a group each, named after the company. Your request goes to that company to be answered.

Auto is selected to begin with. After that, the picker remembers your last choice. Pick a specific model when you want the same one to answer every message in a chat.

Models your plan doesn't include still appear in the picker. They are marked unavailable, with a note that they are not on your plan.

For more on the groups, what is in each one, and every reason a model might be missing, see Models & Auto-Selector.

You can switch AI off for a single chat from the model picker. The conversation stays where it is, and Emerge.ai stops answering in it. Emerge.ai calls the AI in a chat Brie, so this is the control for whether Brie takes part.

With AI off, the people in a chat can talk to each other without the assistant replying. To get other people into a chat, see Collaborating in a chat.

This applies to one chat only. Anyone who can edit that chat can change it. It is not a Cloud-wide setting.

Adding files to a chat

Select the upload button on the right of the chat input to add a file. You can also paste an image straight from your clipboard.

Emerge.ai reads what you send and can work with it in the chat. That includes Word documents, Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx and .xls), PowerPoint files (.pptx and .ppt), CSVs and images, among other types. PowerPoint files preview in the conversation, and you can read a Word document's contents in the app. With an image, Emerge.ai can describe what is in it and read any text it contains.

Every file you upload to a chat is kept on that chat's Files tab. You can browse it there, filter by file type, and search by name.

A file has to finish processing before Emerge.ai can use what is in it. If you send too early, Emerge.ai asks you to let the upload finish, or replies that the document is not ready yet. Wait a moment, then send.

When a chat doesn't respond

A chat won't answer if any of these is true. Each one is covered below, in the same order.

you have used up your daily or weekly usage, and your plan has no free model to fall back on
AI is switched off for that chat
the model you picked isn't on your plan
the model you picked is temporarily unavailable
Auto is selected and Lockdown Mode is on
the Cloud is paused for maintenance

You have used up your daily or weekly usage. Emerge.ai applies two usage limits at once: a daily one that is yours, and a weekly one shared by everyone on the subscription and all its Clouds. Because the weekly one is shared, your chat can stop even when your own daily meter is low.

If your plan includes Emerge Fast & Free, your chat does not stop. It carries on using that free model, and Emerge.ai tells you it has switched. Only plans without that group pause until the limit resets.

Both limits reset on their own, and there is nothing to clear. Settings → AI Usage shows your daily and weekly use as percentages, and when each one resets. Some plans have no limit at all. That page then reads "Your plan has no usage limits configured." For the other ways forward at a limit, see Plans, Tokens & Billing.

AI is switched off for that chat. The conversation is fine, but nothing is answering. Switch it back on from the model picker. See Turning AI off for one chat.

The model you picked isn't on your plan. It shows as unavailable, with a note saying so. To pick another one: open the model picker from the chat input, choose any model that is not marked unavailable, then send your message again. Changing plan is the other option.

The model you picked is temporarily unavailable. Pick another model the same way, or try again later.

Auto is selected and Lockdown Mode is on. You cannot use Auto under Lockdown Mode. The option leaves the picker and the chat moves to a specific allowed model. Open the picker if you would rather use a different allowed model.

The Cloud is paused for maintenance. A Cloud can be paused for everyone, with a notice and an end time. Wait for the time in the notice.

Definitions

Auto — a model-picker option that lets Emerge.ai choose a model for each request, instead of you picking one for the whole chat.
Lockdown Mode — a setting that limits AI processing to the models Emerge.ai approves for it. Anyone can turn it on for themselves. A Cloud Owner or Cloud Administrator can turn it on for a whole Cloud from Cloud Settings → Lockdown Mode, and members then cannot switch it off for themselves.
Emerge Fast & Free — a model group in the picker. On plans that include it, your chat carries on using this model when you reach a usage limit.
Processing — the time between uploading a file and Emerge.ai being able to use what is in it.

Invite your team
Create another Cloud
Models & Auto-Selector
Getting Started overview
Skills
Troubleshooting — including web search, and files you can't find

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