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AI Assist – asking an AI assistant from an action

The command "AI Assist" sends a question to an AI assistant and writes the answer into a variable. This page is for administrators who use AI in processes – to summarise, classify or draft text.

1. At a glance
Purpose Get a free-text answer from an AI assistant
Typical use Summarise a ticket; draft a reply; extract information from a mail text
Where in the editor Toolbar menu "AI" → "AI Assist"
Needs a user interface No
Related AI Predict Value, AI assistants

The answer is free text. When the result has to be one of the allowed values of a field, use AI Predict Value.

2. Settings

All settings are on the tab "General", below "Display Name", "Description" and "Execution Condition" (see Actions).

Setting Meaning Default / Required
"Assistant" The AI assistant to ask. It brings the AI provider, the model and the instructions. Required
"Prompt" Expression for the question. Put everything the assistant needs into it – field values, variables. Required
"Response Variable" The variable the answer is written into Required, unless the command only runs for what the assistant does with its tools
"Enable Tools" Lets the assistant use its tools while answering (section 3) Off

3. Behaviour

  1. If no assistant is set or it no longer exists, the command is skipped.
  2. The prompt is evaluated against the current record and the variables and sent to the assistant, together with the instructions of the assistant.
  3. The answer is written into "Response Variable". The action waits until the answer is complete.

Without "Enable Tools", the assistant sees nothing but the instructions and the prompt. It cannot look up records or other data.

With "Enable Tools", the assistant may use its tools while answering – for example search records or read a record – within what it is allowed to access (see AI assistants). Records are read with the permissions of the user who runs the action. If a user interface is attached, the assistant may also open records and show messages; without one, it works the same but without these tools.

When something goes wrong

If the assistant is deactivated, the provider cannot be reached or refuses the request, the reason is written into the response variable instead of an answer – for example "AI Assistant is currently offline." or "AI request failed: …". There is no separate error variable. The action continues.

4. Examples

Summarise a support ticket.

  • "Assistant" Support assistant
  • "Prompt": a text expression such as Summarise the following support request in three sentences for a service technician: followed by the description field
  • "Response Variable" Summary

An Update Entity Record command then writes Summary into the field "Summary" of the ticket.

Draft a reply for the user. Same as above with a prompt that asks for a polite reply; the variable then prefills "Body" of an Open E-Mail Form command, so the user checks the text before it is sent.

5. Limitations

  • Errors cannot be told apart from answers by a variable; check the answer with a condition if it matters, or treat AI output as a proposal that a person checks.
  • The quality and the content of the answer depend on the model and the provider; AI answers can be wrong.
  • Every run sends the prompt – including the record data it contains – to the AI provider of the assistant. Only put data into the prompt that may be sent there.
  • Each run causes costs at the provider, according to its terms.