How to Use the AI Assistant in Your Group

The /ai, /summarize, and /translate commands can transform how your group communicates. Here is how to use them effectively.

The AI assistant in BotWave is not a chatbot that talks for the sake of talking. It is a tool that answers questions, summarizes long conversations, and translates messages between languages. Used well, it reduces the load on admins and makes the group more useful to members. Used poorly, it adds noise. This guide covers the difference.

What the AI Assistant Actually Does

Three things: answer questions, summarize conversations, and translate messages. Each one solves a specific problem that admins handle manually in most groups.

Answering questions: members ask things like how to do something, what a term means, or where to find a resource. The AI gives a direct answer in the chat. This is useful for technical, reference, and how-to questions that have a clear answer.

Summarizing: when a group has a long discussion, late joiners have to scroll back to catch up. The summarize command condenses the last N messages into a short paragraph so anyone can get up to speed in seconds.

Translating: in multilingual groups, the translate command lets members understand each other without leaving the chat. This opens the group to members who would otherwise be excluded by language.

Answering Questions with /ai

Use /ai followed by a question. The AI responds in the chat with a direct answer. It does not roleplay, it does not hold a conversation, and it does not inject itself into discussions. It only responds when invoked.

/ai What is the difference between TCP and UDP?

The answer appears as a reply to the question. Members can read it, admins can correct it if needed, and the conversation continues. The AI is a reference tool, not a participant.

Summarizing Conversations with /summarize

Long discussions are a fact of group life. A 200-message debate about a decision is valuable to the people who participated, but useless to the person who joins at message 201. The summarize command fixes that.

/summarize 100

This summarizes the last 100 messages into a short paragraph. Use it when a decision was made, when a topic wrapped up, or when new members join mid-discussion. The summary gives them the outcome without the scroll.

Translating Messages with /translate

In groups with members from different countries, language barriers are real. The translate command lets anyone understand any message without leaving the chat.

/translate es

This translates the message it replies to into Spanish. BotWave supports 15+ languages. Members can read and participate in their native language, which opens the group to people who would otherwise lurk silently.

When to Use the AI and When Not To

The AI is best for questions with clear answers. It is not good for opinions, moderation decisions, or sensitive topics. If a member asks what a technical term means, the AI is perfect. If a member asks whether they should buy a specific coin, the AI should not answer and you should not let it.

The pattern: use /ai for reference, /summarize for catch-up, and /translate for inclusion. Do not use it to replace human judgment, moderation, or community culture.

Keeping the AI from Adding Noise

The default behavior is that the AI only responds when invoked with a command. It does not watch the chat and interject. This is intentional. An AI that inserts itself into every conversation is annoying, not helpful.

If you want members to use it more, pin a note explaining the three commands. If you want them to use it less, turn it off with /ai off. You have full control.

Cost and Limits

The AI assistant is included free with BotWave. There are no per-message fees, no API costs passed to you, and no usage tiers. This is one of the features that most competitors charge for, and it is part of the free plan.

Getting Started

Enable the AI with /ai on. Try the three commands in this guide. Watch how your members use them over a week, then adjust. The AI assistant works best when it solves real friction in your group, not when it is a novelty.

Frequently Asked Questions