# Getting Started with AI Chat

> Source: https://parallelworks.com/docs/ai/ai-chat/getting-started

# Getting Started with AI Chat

This guide walks you through sending your first message in AI Chat, selecting a model, and managing your conversation history.

## Prerequisites

Before you can use AI Chat, at least one AI provider must be configured and accessible to you. Providers can be added by you or shared with you by an administrator or team member. See [AI Chat Providers](/docs/ai/ai-chat-providers) for setup instructions.

## Opening the Chat Interface

Click **Chat** in the sidebar navigation to open the AI Chat interface. If no providers are configured, you will see a prompt to add one.

When providers are available, the chat page displays a greeting and a set of suggested prompts to help you get started.

## Selecting a Provider and Model

Use the model selector in the toolbar at the top of the chat interface to choose which AI model to use. Models are grouped by provider and listed with human-friendly names (for example, **my-azure-provider / gpt-4o**). If a provider offers multiple models, each one appears as a separate option.

Session tunnel models (models running on your compute clusters) also appear in this list when an active tunnel is available.

## Sending a Message

1. Type your message in the input field at the bottom of the chat interface, or click one of the suggested prompts.
2. Optionally attach files by clicking the attachment button or dragging files into the chat area.
3. Press **Enter** or click the send button.

Your message is sent to the selected model, and a new conversation is created automatically if one does not already exist.

## Understanding Streaming Responses

AI Chat streams responses in real time. As the model generates its reply, text appears incrementally in the chat interface. A green indicator is shown while the response is streaming.

For reasoning models, a "Thought for..." indicator appears after the response completes, showing how long the model spent in its thinking phase. You can click this indicator to view the model's reasoning process.

## Managing Conversation History

Your conversations are saved automatically and listed in the sidebar. Conversations are sorted by most recently updated.

### Viewing Past Conversations

Click any conversation in the sidebar to reopen it. The full message history, including any branches, is restored.

### Renaming a Conversation

Conversations can be renamed by updating the title. This helps you organize and find past conversations.

### Deleting a Conversation

Only the conversation owner can delete a conversation. Deleting a conversation also removes all associated attachments and sharing permissions.

## Next Steps

- [Attaching Files](/docs/ai/ai-chat/attaching-files) -- Learn how to include files in your messages
- [Branching Conversations](/docs/ai/ai-chat/branching-conversations) -- Explore alternative responses
- [Sharing Conversations](/docs/ai/ai-chat/sharing-conversations) -- Share with your team
- [Using Reasoning Models](/docs/ai/ai-chat/using-reasoning-models) -- Use models with extended thinking
- [Using the CLI](/docs/ai/ai-chat/using-the-cli) -- Chat from the command line

## Related Documentation

- [AI Chat Overview](/docs/ai/ai-chat) -- Feature overview and access methods
- [AI Chat Providers](/docs/ai/ai-chat-providers) -- Configure AI providers
- [Troubleshooting](/docs/ai/ai-chat/troubleshooting) -- Resolve common issues