---
title: How the AI helps
description: Tell the AI what an activity is for in your own words, choose how far it may go, and give a section its own support.
updated: 2026-10-29
---

> All VIABLE docs, for people and their agents: https://developers.viablelab.org/llms.txt

# How the AI helps

**How the AI helps** tells the agent what one activity is for and how far it may go. It appears in the activity editor once you choose who **Learners talk with**.

The agent reads it with every message. Learners don't see it.

::: figure helps

## Goal

Under **Goal**, write what learners should be able to do by the end, in your own words. For example: "Explain each step of a two-step word problem in their own words."

A goal alone is enough for any learners, from a university seminar to a library session. You don't need a standard.

## A standard, a skill or misconceptions

**Standard or skill** is optional: a K-12 standard, or a durable skill for any age. For math, **Misconceptions to listen for** suggests common misconceptions. See [Standards, skills and misconceptions](/docs/teach/standards-and-skills).

## How far the AI may go

Choose one, or leave all four off:

- **Ask first**: it asks what they think or have tried, then builds on it.
- **Hints only**: hints and guiding questions, a step at a time, never the answer.
- **Explain when stuck**: it explains and shows a worked example, then they try one.
- **Only check**: it says what is right and what to look at again in their own work.

## Different for a section

Under **Different for a section**, give a section, such as an extra-support period, its own **How far** choice and a note (up to 500 characters) the agent reads only in that section's chats. Each message's record keeps which section's settings it used (`teaching_section` in the [research export](/docs/research/export)).

It isn't offered on a study's design or while a course's study runs, where every section follows the design, nor for one learner: a note about a person would go to a model.

## Check what the AI is given

Open **What [agent] reads with every message** to see the exact text the agent gets. With a section of its own, choose it under **As read by**.

> [!NOTE]
> This is an instruction, not a lock. To keep the AI out of part of an activity, show the panels in steps with a step that has no AI. See [Activities and panels](/docs/teach/activities).

With a VETTING step, its reviewer checks each reply against this too, and replies that can't pass show up under **To look at**.

A change here makes a new version of the activity, and each message's record says what the AI was asked to do.

::: cards
- [Following progress](/docs/teach/progress): see what the AI flagged under To look at.
- [Checking replies](/docs/build/vetting): add a VETTING step that reviews each reply.
- [Standards, skills and misconceptions](/docs/teach/standards-and-skills): align an activity and listen for common mistakes.
:::