> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.medcrypt.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.medcrypt.com/msi/get-started/ask-msi.md).

# Ask MSI a question

Ask MSI is an assistant that answers questions about your device, your documents and regulatory expectations. It's available from every page, and you can check exactly how it reached each answer: which tools it used, which documents and pages it read, and whether each claim is backed by a source.

## Before you begin

* To ask about one device, select that device first. See [Find your way around MSI](/msi/get-started.md#switch-organization-workspace-or-device).
* To have Ask MSI work from your own documents, upload them to a collection in **Documents**, or upload them from the chat.

## Open Ask MSI

Select **Ask MSI** in the bottom-right corner of any page. A panel opens beside the page you're on, so you keep your place.

What the conversation covers depends on where you open it:

| Where you are           | What you're asking about                                                                                         |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| A device is selected    | That device. The panel shows the device name and **Device version**, and lists that version's chats.             |
| The device list is open | Your whole workspace. The button reads **Ask across all devices**, and the panel lists your **Portfolio** chats. |

If you've chatted about this device before, Ask MSI reopens your most recent chat. To start fresh, select **New chat**. To return to an earlier conversation, select it in the list on the left.

To get the button out of the way, select the arrow beside it to minimize it. Select the arrow again to bring it back.

## Ask a question

1. Type your question in the message box and send it. In a new chat, you can also pick one of the suggested prompts.
2. Ask follow-up questions in the same chat. Ask MSI keeps the earlier conversation in mind.

Ask MSI also knows what you're looking at on some pages, so you can say "this" instead of restating it. For example, with a threat open in the **Risk Register**, you can ask "why is this rated high?" It works the same way for the collection or document you've selected in **Documents**.

### Ground answers in your documents

Ask MSI searches the document collections attached to the chat.

* To attach a collection, select the folder icon (**Manage collections**) next to the message box, then attach the collections you want. Attached collections appear above the message box.
* To add new files, select the upload icon (**Upload documents**) next to the message box.

## Check how Ask MSI reached an answer

Every answer can be checked.

* **Sources & Actions:** expand this under any answer to see each tool Ask MSI used, with its **Arguments** and **Response**, what each specialist step did internally, and the documents it referenced, down to the page.
* **Traceability:** select this at the top of the chat to see each claim Ask MSI grounded in your documents, with its source quote. Each claim is labeled:

| Label                  | Meaning                                                                                           |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Verified**           | Backed by a verbatim quote from your documents.                                                   |
| **Corroborated**       | Matches a reviewer-approved or closely matching claim. A strong signal, but not a verbatim quote. |
| **Figure description** | Matches an AI description of a figure, not the document's own words.                              |
| **Justified**          | A reasoned inference rather than a quote.                                                         |
| **Unverified**         | No supporting source was found. Treat it with caution.                                            |

If an answer is wrong, select the disagree icon under it (its tooltip reads "Tell us this answer is wrong") and explain what's wrong.

## Draft documents with Ask MSI

Ask MSI can write documents and diagrams with you as artifacts. Select **Artifacts** at the top of the chat to see them. You can edit an artifact together with Ask MSI, then export it with **Export as DOCX** or **Export as PDF**.

## Work in a larger view

To give the chat more room, select **Open full chat** (the pop-out icon at the top of the panel). The full-page view adds two options:

* **Focus:** narrows which specialist tools, memory and skills Ask MSI uses in this chat, to keep it on task.
* **Save as Skill:** turns a useful conversation into a reusable skill that Ask MSI can apply to similar requests later.

## Share chats with your team

Chats belong to your workspace, so teammates can open the same conversation. In a shared chat, you can see who else is viewing it.

## What to ask

Ask MSI works best on questions about your device, your documents and regulatory expectations. For example:

* "What cybersecurity documentation does FDA expect in a premarket submission?"
* "Review my uploaded documents for compliance gaps."
* "Which recent CVEs could affect my device's software components?"
* "Using the attached 510(k) collection, does our documentation cover FDA's premarket cybersecurity expectations for an SBOM and a vulnerability management plan? Cite the documents and pages, and flag anything missing."
* With a threat open in the Risk Register: "Why is this threat rated high, and which controls would lower it?"

{% hint style="info" %}
If the message box says **AI features temporarily unavailable - token limit reached**, your organization has used its shared AI capacity for now. The usage indicator at the bottom of the sidebar shows how much is used. If you need more, use **Help & Support** > **Contact us**.
{% endhint %}

## Next steps

* [Trace an AI claim to its source](/msi/review-and-correct-device-knowledge/trace-an-ai-claim-to-its-source.md): learn more about how MSI grounds its claims.
* [Answer guided questions](/msi/get-started/answer-guided-questions.md): fill in what your documents don't say, so answers about your device are more accurate.
* [Triage risks in the Risk Register](/msi/review-your-threat-model/triage-risks-in-the-risk-register.md): review threats, with Ask MSI available alongside.