> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.gotempest.app/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.gotempest.app/productivity/tempest-ai-assistant.md).

# Tempest AI Assistant

The **Tempest AI Assistant** is an in-app chat panel that knows what's happening in your SSH session. Ask it to explain a stack trace, generate a one-liner, debug a failing systemd unit, or draft a migration script — and pipe the answer straight into the terminal. Think of it as Claude / GPT / Gemini sitting next to your shell, with full context.

## What it can see

The AI sees only what you give it — by default that's:

* The current command output you highlight
* Files you explicitly attach (drag-and-drop into the chat)
* Your typed question

It does **not** silently scrape your terminal history, your hosts list, or your keys. You stay in control of what reaches the model.

## What it can do

* **Explain**: paste an error → get a plain-English diagnosis
* **Generate**: "give me a one-liner to find files modified in the last hour" → get the command, optionally one-click "run in terminal"
* **Investigate**: "the disk is full, show me the biggest directories" → get a `du` invocation, run it, AI sees the output and follows up
* **Refactor**: paste a Bash script → get an idiomatic rewrite, side-by-side diff
* **Bridge to coding agents**: combine with the **Use AI Agents** preset on a connection to drop straight into Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex CLI, or OpenCode on the remote host

## Choose your model

Tempest doesn't lock you into one provider. Configure any of:

* **Anthropic Claude** (Sonnet, Opus, Haiku) — recommended default
* **OpenAI** GPT-4 / GPT-5 family
* **Google Gemini**
* **Self-hosted** — point at any OpenAI-compatible endpoint (Ollama, vLLM, llama.cpp, your enterprise gateway)

Configure your API key once in **Settings → AI** and the assistant is available in every connection tab.

## Privacy

* Tempest never proxies AI requests through our servers — they go directly from your device to the provider you configured.
* When you use a self-hosted model, prompts stay entirely inside your network.
* See [How Tempest Protects Your Privacy](/account-and-privacy/how-tempest-protect-your-privacy.md) for the full data-handling story.

## Configurable temperature

Set the model temperature in Settings — lower for deterministic command generation, higher for creative refactoring suggestions.

## Coding agents preset

The connection edit form has a **Use AI Agents** quick-config: pick **Claude Code**, **Gemini CLI**, **Codex CLI**, or **OpenCode**, give a working directory, and Tempest will `cd <dir> && <agent>` on connect — perfect for jumping straight into a coding session on a remote dev box.

See the dropdown next to the **Startup Command** field in any SSH host's edit form.

## See also

* [Kubernetes Profiles](/productivity/kubernetes-profiles.md) — pair the AI with `kubectl` for cluster troubleshooting
* [Tempest Monitoring](/productivity/tempest-monitoring.md) — when a gauge spikes, ask the AI what to do
* [SSH Snippets](/productivity/tempest-monitoring.md) — save AI-generated commands as reusable snippets