AI Diagnostic Chat

Interactive AI troubleshooting

The AI Diagnostic Chat provides a real-time, conversational troubleshooting experience for equipment issues. The AI analyzes your issue details, photos, and responses to guide you through diagnostic steps, suggest likely causes, and help you resolve problems without waiting for a technician.

You can start a diagnostic chat from several places:

• From the Choose Your Path dialog after creating an issue
• From the Diagnostics tab on the issue detail page by clicking New Chat or Start First Chat
• From the issues table by selecting Start AI Diagnosis or Continue Diagnosis in the action dropdown
• From a diagnostic report by clicking Chat with AI or Continue Chat

Chat interface

The diagnostic chat opens in a full-page view with:

• Back button in the top-left to return to the issue detail page
• Issue title and equipment name displayed at the top for context
• Diagnostic progress indicator showing the current troubleshooting stage
• Message thread in the center with your messages and AI responses
• Message input area at the bottom with text field, photo upload buttons, and send button

Diagnostic progress indicator

A row of stage pills at the top of the chat shows how far along the diagnosis has progressed:

Completed stages appear in green, the current stage is highlighted in dark, and future stages are gray. The progress automatically advances as the conversation grows.

How the conversation works

When you start a new diagnostic chat, the AI automatically generates a personalized introduction based on:

• The equipment type, manufacturer, and model
• The issue title and description
• Any photos you uploaded
• Prior troubleshooting attempts you described

The AI provides an Initial Assessment with its early hypothesis, followed by a first troubleshooting step to try.

Sending messages

Type your response in the text area at the bottom and press Send (or hit Enter). Messages stream in real time, so you see the AI's response appear character by character as it generates.

Quick reply buttons

After each AI message, clickable action buttons appear below the response. These provide one-tap replies for common responses, saving you from typing. Examples include:

• "I'll try this" / "Done, what's next?"
• "Didn't help" / "That didn't work"
• "It worked!" / "This resolved it"
• "Need clarification"
• "Upload a photo"
• "There's an error message" / "No error visible"

Click any button to send that response instantly. Some buttons (like "Upload a photo" or "There's an error message") open a text input pre-filled with a helpful prompt.

Step cards

When the AI suggests a specific troubleshooting action, it appears as a structured Step Card with:

• Step number (e.g., "Step 1 of ~3")
• Title -- What you need to do
• Instructions -- Detailed guidance for completing the step
• Safety badge -- Either "Safe for your team" (green checkmark) or "Technician Required" (amber warning) with an explanation

Each step card includes action buttons:

• Done -- Mark the step as completed and continue
• Didn't work -- Tell the AI the step did not resolve the issue

Photo upload during chat

You can upload photos at any point during the conversation using two buttons next to the text input:

• Camera button -- Opens your device camera to take a photo (especially useful on mobile)
• Image upload button -- Opens a file picker to select an existing photo

Photos help the AI better understand the current state of the equipment. For example, you might photograph an error code that appeared after a troubleshooting step, or show the AI the result of an inspection.

Confidence badges

The AI attaches a confidence level to its responses, displayed as a small badge beneath the message:

The confidence level helps you gauge how much to rely on the AI's suggestions versus seeking professional help.

Technician warning

When the AI detects that an issue likely requires professional service -- due to safety risks, specialized tools, or the complexity of the repair -- a Technician Warning banner appears in the message. This alerts you that continuing without a qualified technician may be inadvisable.

Need a Tech? banner

A persistent amber banner may appear at the top of the chat area reading "Need a technician?" with a Call a Tech button. This provides a quick escape hatch to schedule professional service at any point during the conversation without losing your diagnostic progress.

Clicking Call a Tech opens the Schedule a Service Call dialog.

Inline escalation

If the AI determines that the issue cannot be resolved through self-diagnosis, an inline escalation panel appears within the chat. It displays:

• A message: "Still having issues? Get help from a certified technician."
• A Contact Technician button that opens the service scheduling flow.

This is different from the top banner -- it appears contextually within the conversation when the AI reaches the limits of what can be done remotely.

Resolution celebration

When the AI determines that the issue has been resolved (either because you confirmed a step worked or explicitly said the problem is fixed), a celebration animation triggers with confetti and a success message. The issue status is automatically updated to Resolved.

Resource cards

The AI may include helpful resources in its messages, such as:

• Video tutorials -- YouTube or manufacturer training videos relevant to the equipment and issue
• Articles -- Technical documentation or community guides
• Documentation -- Official manufacturer manuals or service bulletins

Each resource card shows the title, source, type, and duration (for videos), with a link to open the resource.

Escalation summary

If the issue is escalated to a technician from within the chat, an Escalation Summary appears showing the AI's findings, steps already taken, and the diagnosis summary. This information is automatically included when you schedule service, so the technician arrives informed.

Diagnostic report generation

The AI diagnostic chat feeds into the broader diagnostic system. Conversation data, including symptoms identified, steps completed, and photos shared, can contribute to a diagnostic report that provides a structured summary of the troubleshooting process.

Tier limits

Tips for effective diagnosis