Chat Assistant
Overview
AHAU AI Chat helps you draft, summarize, analyze, and act on content inside your current host app (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Web). It adapts to your context and exposes host-specific actions so you can move from idea to application without copy-paste.
Core capabilities
Draft and rewrite text with tone control and structure alignment.
Summarize long content (emails, documents, threads) into scannable bullets.
Analyze data (Excel), propose KPIs, formulas, and chart-ready summaries.
Insert, replace, or export results directly via host-specific actions.
Tip: Keep prompts short and iterative. If results miss the mark, switch the model or toggle context, then try one precise follow-up instruction.
Getting started
Open AI Chat in AHAU.
Start a new conversation (your first message creates a chat automatically) or select an existing chat from the header.
Type your prompt and send.
Composer controls
Model: choose speed vs reasoning quality for this chat.
Skill: optionally apply a reusable behavior profile (or keep No skill).
Include context: allow AI to use current pane/document/email context.
Send / Stop: send a message or stop generation mid-stream.
Skills and models
Skills (assistant behavior)
Skills are reusable instruction sets that enforce style, structure, and domain focus.
Use when you need consistent output (support replies, PM updates, technical writing, sales follow-ups).
Keep No skill for general-purpose chat.
When to use skills
Repeatable workflows with required output formats.
Team-standard language (tone, legal/brand voice).
Tasks that demand strict, specialized instructions every time.
Skill examples
Skill example | Best for | Example prompt |
|---|---|---|
Customer Reply Assistant | Inbox triage, support responses | Draft a friendly reply confirming next steps and expected timeline. |
Executive Writer | Leadership updates and summaries | Turn this into a one-page executive update with risks, decisions, and owners. |
Analyst | Data interpretation and reporting | Summarize this data, propose 3 KPIs, and suggest the best chart type. |
Creating a strong skill (for admins)
Define role: “You are a customer success assistant …”
Define output: sections, bullets, tables, and length limits.
Define tone and constraints: concise, formal, no speculation, include next steps.
Models (speed vs quality)
Use faster models for quick drafting and rewrites; use higher-capability models for complex analysis, long documents, multi-step reasoning, or data-heavy tasks.
Email and quick edits: fast model.
Structured docs/tables: balanced model.
Deep analysis or data interpretation: strong model.
If results are off, keep your prompt and switch models first. Small model changes often fix tone, structure, or reasoning issues without rewriting your request.
Host-specific actions and workflows
Depending on the current host, AI Chat shows contextual actions on each assistant message so you can apply output immediately.
Universal actions
Copy: copy assistant response.
Export as Markdown: export from the message menu.
Outlook
New email: open a new draft from AI output.
Prepend to body: insert response at the top of the current compose email.
Reply: create a reply draft from AI output.
Word
Insert to Word: insert response into the document at cursor.
Replace selection: replace selected text with the response.
Excel
Set selected cells: write results to the current selection.
PowerPoint
Insert to slide: insert response text into the current slide.
What AI can do in each host
Host | What AI can help with |
|---|---|
Outlook | Draft new emails, prepare replies, rewrite tone, summarize long threads, insert text directly into compose drafts |
Word | Draft and improve documents, rewrite sections, insert structured content, provide formatting-ready text |
Excel | Analyze selected data, generate formulas, prepare table-ready output, and chart-ready summaries |
PowerPoint | Generate slide text, improve structure and wording, and insert presentation content faster |
Web / Fallback | Basic assistant workflows for drafting and testing when host-specific actions are limited |
Practical use cases
Outlook: reply faster with better quality
Open an email thread and ask: “Summarize this thread in 5 bullets and draft a polite reply.”
Follow up: “Make the reply shorter and more direct.”
Use a message action to create a reply or insert into your draft.
Word: write and refine a document section
Select a paragraph and ask: “Rewrite this for an executive audience; keep key numbers.”
Then: “Turn this into a 3-part section with headings and a comparison table.”
Insert or replace directly, then do a final tone pass.
Helpful prompts:
Add a 2-column pros/cons table.
Create a short executive summary above the table.
Convert this into a client-facing version and remove internal terms.
Excel: from data to insight
Select a range and ask: “Explain what this data shows and suggest 3 KPIs.”
Then: “Create formulas for growth %, variance, and a status flag.”
Ask: “Prepare a chart recommendation and the exact data layout needed.”
Helpful prompts:
Build a monthly trend table and include YoY growth %.
Suggest which chart type best explains this data and why.
Create a summary block I can paste into a slide.
Cross-host flow
Start in Outlook to consolidate requests, move to Word for a polished draft with sections/tables, hop to Excel for numbers and charts, then return to Outlook to send a concise response referencing the outputs.
Chat management
New Chat: start a fresh chat from the header menu.
Switch Chat: pick any active chat from the header dropdown.
Delete Chat: remove the current chat from the header trash icon.
How context is used
When Include context is enabled, AI can use your current host, pane item reference, and host-specific tools to improve relevance. Disable context if you need a generic answer.
Best practices
Be specific about goal, format, and constraints (length, tone, audience).
In Outlook/Word, ask for an editable draft first, then apply via actions.
In Excel, request compact tables or formulas before writing to cells.
If results feel too host-specific, disable context and retry.
Troubleshooting
No models or skills visible: refresh the page and retry.
Action button does nothing: confirm supported host and correct mode (e.g., Outlook read vs compose).
Unauthorized or loading errors: re-authenticate and reopen AI Chat.
Wrong chat title: the first message sets the title by design.
Privacy and safety
Context is used only when explicitly enabled.
Host actions run only through available, environment-specific gateway tools.
Always review generated content before sending or applying changes.
Credits and usage limits
AI usage credits are planned. Until implemented, model access and usage are governed by your environment configuration.
FAQ
Pick a skill to lock behavior and format; pick a model for speed vs reasoning. Use them together: skill controls style and guardrails; model controls depth and coherence.
Enable it when your prompt should leverage the open email/document/sheet/slide. Disable it for generic instructions or when context may bias the answer.
Keep the same prompt, switch the model, and add one targeted follow-up instruction (e.g., “convert to 5 bullets with short sentences”).