What are AI-generated tables?
A summary that you would normally put together from several places can be created in a single answer. Ask the AI Assistant in plain language, for example: “Create a table comparing Q1 and Q2 costs.” The table appears in the conversation. You don't need a separate report generator or column builder.
The data comes from the knowledge sources you select. Below the conversation title, you'll find the Sources button. There, you can select specific tasks, a chat, a note, an entire workspace, a folder containing files or a calendar with upcoming due dates. You can select several sources at once. When you select a task or chat, the assistant will also include files uploaded to it, including those added in the Files module.
The assistant only uses sources you have permission to access. If you lose access to one of them, it will leave it out of its next answer.
How to ask for a table and what to do with it next
The table appears as text in the answer. If you need a file, ask the assistant to create one and specify the format. Task Manager creates XLSX, CSV, PDF, DOCX and HTML files and adds a “Download” button below the answer. Excel and CSV require tabular data - a general description on its own isn't enough to create a spreadsheet.
The download link works for 24 hours by default, then it expires. Only you can download the file prepared by the Assistant, once logged in.
You'll see a usage bar below the list of sources. If you select more content than the model can handle, the assistant will tell you what it left out. It leaves out broad sources first, while keeping the specific tasks you selected. For broad requests such as “search all tasks”, it selects only a few of the most relevant items. That's why it's worth selecting sources as precisely as possible when putting together a summary.
What do you gain?
You don't have to copy data from tasks and conversations into a spreadsheet by hand. When comparing Q1 and Q2 costs, for example, you can get a table in the answer instead of gathering figures from several places. That means less work when preparing a report.
You don't have to guess whether some of the material was left out of the summary. Without that information, it's easy to mistake an incomplete comparison for a complete one. If there's too much information, you'll find out what the assistant left out.
When is it useful?
You're managing a dozen or so tasks for one client and preparing a quarterly summary. Agreements are recorded in task descriptions and messages, while the quote is in an attached file. You start a new thread in the AI Assistant, select the client's workspace as a source and ask for a table with the task, status, due date and person responsible. The assistant can read files uploaded to tasks: TXT, CSV, DOCX, XLSX and PDF. Older DOC files and scanned PDFs without a text layer can't be read. Message attachments can be read up to around 50 KB of text.
You view the result in the conversation. In the same thread you can ask: "Add a column with the closing date". Once the summary suits you, you ask for an Excel file. The thread stays on the list, so you can return to it for the next summary. Conversation history is saved by default; if the administrator disables saving it, the thread keeps its name and sources, but not the conversation content.
Frequently asked questions
Can I export the table to Excel?
Yes. Ask the AI Assistant for a file, and Task Manager will create an XLSX or CSV file and add a “Download” button below the answer. A spreadsheet requires tabular data. If the answer is plain text, you can ask for a PDF, DOCX or HTML file.
Will the assistant show me data I don't have permission to access?
No. The assistant only uses sources you have access to. An administrator has access to all tasks and chats. Mailboxes can only be selected as a source after an administrator enables this option in Settings → AI; even then, an administrator cannot select someone else's mailbox.
Can I change the columns after receiving the table?
Yes. In the same conversation, tell it what you want to change. The assistant remembers the context of the current thread, so you don't need to repeat your entire request.
Where does the assistant get the data for the table?
The assistant uses the sources selected with the “Sources” button above the conversation. These can be tasks, chats, notes, folders containing files, an entire workspace or a calendar. A new thread starts out as general and only sees your tasks until you add other sources.
How long does a download link work for?
The link works for 24 hours by default, then it expires. Only you can download the file prepared by the Assistant, once logged in.