# Set up the AI member in chat

> Give your organisation's AI member an Anthropic API key so anyone can mention @plexi in a channel for an answer, and add AI teammates with their own roles.

Source: https://plexiidesk.com/help/chat-ai-member
Section: Communicate > Chat and calls
Plans: All plans
Updated: 2026-10-15

Every organisation in PlexiDesk has an AI member for its chat, called **@plexi**. Once an admin gives it your organisation's Anthropic API key, anyone can mention **@plexi** in a channel and it answers there, for everyone to read, using the conversation so far. It can also suggest things to do, such as a new desk or a meeting, as cards people apply with a click.

The same key turns on the rest of Chat's AI: **Recall**, **Pulse**, **Schedules**, **Translate**, **Clarify this draft before sending** and thread summaries. And you can add **AI teammates**: more AI members, each with its own @handle, name and role.

## Before you start

- **Be an owner or admin of the organisation.** Only owners and admins see the AI member settings. See [Set up and manage your organisation](https://plexiidesk.com/help/org-manage).
- **Have an Anthropic API key.** The AI member runs on your organisation's own key, from your organisation's Anthropic account. It starts with **sk-ant-**.
- **Plans.** Chat and its AI member are part of every plan.

> **Note:**
> This key is for your organisation's chat, and everyone in its conversations uses it. Your own key for Plexii, the assistant, is separate and lives in **Settings > AI**. See [Add your own API keys](https://plexiidesk.com/help/api-keys).

## Add the key

1. In the side menu, under **Apps**, click **Chat** in the **Tools** group.
2. Click **Browse and create channels** (the hash sign) at the top of your conversations. The **Channels** window opens.
3. If you belong to more than one workspace, choose your organisation in the list at the top.
4. Below the channels, find **AI member (@plexi)**. At its right it says **Not configured**.
5. Paste the key into the box marked **sk-ant-…** and click **Save**.

The window says **Key saved. @plexi can now reply in this workspace.**, and **AI member (@plexi)** now says **Active**. The key is stored encrypted and is never shown again, not even to you.

## Ask @plexi in a channel

1. Open a channel in your organisation.
2. Write a message that mentions **@plexi**, for example "@plexi what are the open questions on the launch?", and send it.

A moment later the AI member replies in the channel, for everyone in it to see. It reads the channel's recent messages, so you can ask about what was said, ask for a summary, or ask it to draft something. The first time it is mentioned in a channel, it becomes a member of that channel.

### When it suggests something

Sometimes the reply comes with cards under it, each a suggestion you can apply:

| The card says | Applying it |
| --- | --- |
| **New desk** | Creates a desk with that name. |
| **Schedule** | Books the event on your calendar. |
| **Draft email** | Opens a new email in Mail, filled in, for you to check and send. |
| **Add to PlexiBrain** | Saves the note to your Brain. |
| A new document, sheet, deck, diagram or design | Creates the file. |

- **To apply a suggestion,** click the card. It is applied for you, in your own workspace.
- **To choose where it goes,** click **Choose where to add this** on the card, where it is offered.
- **To turn it down,** click the cross, **Dismiss this suggestion**.

Anyone in the channel can apply a card for themselves. Each card gives the reason for the suggestion, or says when none was given, so you can decide. Suggestions you have not read yet appear in **Needs you** as **Plexii proposed an action**. See [Search and catch up in chat](https://plexiidesk.com/help/chat-search-and-catch-up).

## Add AI teammates

AI teammates are more AI members, each with a role. Mention one by its handle in any channel of the organisation, and it replies in that role. They use the same key as **@plexi**.

1. Open the **Channels** window, as above, with your organisation chosen.
2. Below **AI member (@plexi)**, find **AI teammates**.
3. In **handle**, type the handle people will mention, such as **research**.
4. In **Name**, type the name it goes by, such as **Research assistant**.
5. In the box below, describe its role, for example "research questions and summarise findings".
6. Click **Add agent**.

The teammate is listed with its handle and name. Mention it as, for example, **@research** in a channel. To remove one, click the cross beside it, **Remove**.

A handle is 2 to 32 characters: letters, numbers, full stops, underscores and hyphens. Each handle can be used once in an organisation, and **plexi** is kept for the default AI member.

## Replace or remove the key

- **To replace it,** paste the new key into the box, which now reads **Replace key (sk-ant-…)**, and click **Save**.
- **To remove it,** click **Remove**. The window says **Key removed. @plexi will stay quiet until a new key is added.**

Without a key, **@plexi** and the AI teammates do not reply, and Recall, Pulse, Schedules, Translate, Clarify and thread summaries say they need the key, or do nothing.

## What the AI member works with

| Feature | What it does | See |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **@plexi** and AI teammates | Answer in the channel when mentioned. | This article |
| **Recall** | Catches you up on a conversation or answers a question about it, privately. | [Search and catch up in chat](https://plexiidesk.com/help/chat-search-and-catch-up) |
| **Pulse** | Lists a channel's decisions, open questions and desks to create. | [Search and catch up in chat](https://plexiidesk.com/help/chat-search-and-catch-up) |
| **Schedules** | Posts in a channel every day, week or month. | [Search and catch up in chat](https://plexiidesk.com/help/chat-search-and-catch-up) |
| **Summarise** | Sums up a thread with three replies or more. | [Write, react and manage messages](https://plexiidesk.com/help/chat-writing-messages) |
| **Translate** | Translates a message into your language, for you. | [Write, react and manage messages](https://plexiidesk.com/help/chat-writing-messages) |
| **Clarify this draft before sending** | Rewrites your draft more clearly before you send it. | [Write, react and manage messages](https://plexiidesk.com/help/chat-writing-messages) |

All of these work in your organisation's conversations. Conversations in your **Personal** workspace have no AI member.

## Tips

- **Give teammates narrow roles.** A teammate for research and one for writing release notes give more useful answers than one that does everything.
- **Mention it where the context is.** The AI member reads the channel it is mentioned in, so ask in the channel the question is about.
- **Tell the team.** Post in **#general** which AI teammates exist and what each is for, so people know whom to mention.

## Common questions

**I do not see AI member (@plexi) in the Channels window.** It is shown to owners and admins of the organisation chosen at the top of the window. Check that the list shows your organisation, and ask an owner to make you an admin if you need to. See [Set up and manage your organisation](https://plexiidesk.com/help/org-manage).

**I mentioned @plexi and nothing happened.** Check that **AI member (@plexi)** says **Active**, that you are in one of the organisation's channels rather than a personal conversation, and that the handle is spelled **@plexi**.

**The window says server-side AI replies are not enabled yet.** The AI member cannot be turned on for your organisation yet, so there is no key to add. Contact support at connect@plexiidesk.com.

**I click a card and it says Plexii leaves the doing to me.** Your autonomy setting for the assistant is **Suggest only**, or your organisation limits the assistant to suggestions, so cards are not applied for you. Do the step yourself, or change the setting. See [Assistant autonomy](https://plexiidesk.com/help/settings-assistant-autonomy).

**Does the AI member use my PlexiDesk credits?** It runs on the key your organisation adds.

**Can people outside the organisation use it?** It answers in the organisation's conversations, for the people in them.

## Related tasks

- [PlexiiChat: channels and messages](https://plexiidesk.com/help/chat-overview)
- [Search and catch up in chat](https://plexiidesk.com/help/chat-search-and-catch-up)
- [Direct messages and channels](https://plexiidesk.com/help/chat-conversations-and-channels)
- [Set up and manage your organisation](https://plexiidesk.com/help/org-manage)
- [Add your own API keys](https://plexiidesk.com/help/api-keys)
- [Review and apply Plexii's changes](https://plexiidesk.com/help/plexii-proposals)