Open-Source AI Artifacts Alternatives: A Better Way to Manage Your AI Chats

I’ve spent countless hours working with AI, and one thing that's always bugged me is the constant need to re-explain everything. Start a new chat, and you're back to square one: re-uploading files, pasting code, and re-iterating your project's context. It's a massive productivity killer, especially when you're trying to iterate quickly.

In this article, I want to share some alternatives to manage your AI artifacts. I'll cover what works, what doesn't, and what to look for to save you time and frustration. Here are a few things I've learned through experience:

1. Context Matters: The quality of your AI output is directly tied to the context you provide. Don't skimp on this. Always include detailed explanations, relevant files, and any necessary code snippets.
2. Organization is Key: Instead of scattershot notes, organize your AI projects. Create dedicated folders or project spaces for each task. This keeps everything in one place and makes it easy to find what you need when you need it.
3. Versioning, Versioning, Versioning: Keep track of different versions of your context, just like you version your code. This lets you revert to earlier setups if needed and see how changes affect outputs.
4. Automation Saves Time: Automate repetitive tasks as much as possible. If you're constantly uploading the same documents or pasting the same prompts, create scripts or templates to streamline the process.
5. Choose the Right Tools: The best tools are those that integrate well with your workflow. For me, it’s essential to have easy access to different AI models, a cost calculator and the ability to build different contexts.
6. Embrace Iteration: AI is all about iteration. Don’t expect perfect results immediately. Instead, be prepared to refine your prompts, experiment with different inputs, and continuously improve your context definition.
7. Share and Learn: Share your successful prompt setups and context strategies with others. Likewise, learn from what others are doing. If you're working on a team or with a group, collaborative tools can be a lifesaver.

There are a couple of different approaches you can take. You can use Google Docs and Notion to create different context artifacts. You can also check out different open source solutions to run it locally.

The Problem of Context Switching

I remember when I was working on a project where I had to analyze a large dataset of financial transactions. Every time I started a new chat, I was back to square one: re-uploading the data, re-explaining the goal, and re-specifying the format and desired output. It was time-consuming, error-prone, and frankly, a huge pain. I quickly realized there had to be a better way.

Contextch.at in Action

That's when I was introduced to Contextch.at, a platform that helps me avoid the tedious context switching that plagues so many AI projects. I've found it to be a game-changer. With Contextch.at, I can set up different projects, each preloaded with the exact data, context, and instructions I need. When I start a new chat, everything is already there. I can easily switch between different AI models, estimate the cost and iterate faster and better. It’s a pay-per-use basis model, so I dont need to pay subscription fees. It's designed for professionals, by professionals, and it shows.