Anatomy of an AI Conversation: Beyond Simple Questions and Answers
Discover how Large Language Models (LLMs) actually "think" and "remember" during our conversations with them.
Ever wonder what's really going on when you chat with ChatGPT, Claude, or any other AI buddy? Well, grab a coffee and get comfy, because we're about to peek behind the curtain and see what these AIs are up to while we chat with them.
Picture this: you're at a party, meeting someone new. As people do, you start sharing random bits of your life - how you can't resist a good lasagna, your growing guitar collection that's slowly taking over your living room (oops!), and your slight obsession with trying out every new AI tool you can find. Every time you chat, this person needs to remember everything from the start - who you are, what you've been talking about, and even the whole vibe of your conversation.
For us humans, this is no big deal. Your new friend will naturally keep track of your food adventures, your guitar-collecting habit, and your AI exploration journey - keeping the chat flowing without breaking a sweat.
But here's the fun part: for an AI, keeping up with the conversation is more like juggling while riding a unicycle. let's see what goes on when an AI chats with you.
Quick Note: An LLM (that's short for Large Language Model) is basically an AI that learned by reading pretty much everything on the internet. Think of it as a very eager student who pulled way too many all-nighters with a mountain of books!
Understanding how AI manages conversations isn't just tech trivia - it's the key to having better, more effective chats with these AI tools. Once you know what's happening behind the scenes, you'll understand why some conversations flow smoothly while others feel off, and how to make every chat more productive.
Meet the Three Stars of Every AI Chat
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, think of this like a fun little play. We've got three main characters working together to make the magic happen - just like the Three Musketeers, but instead of swords, they're wielding words! Let me introduce you to our stars: the system prompt, the user prompt (that's you!), and the assistant prompt.
1. System Prompt: The Behind-the-Scenes Director
Think of the system prompt as the secret director hiding behind the curtain. You never see them, but they're the one telling everyone what to do. This is where the AI gets its personality and all its do's and don'ts. Each AI has its own special instructions, but they keep them under wraps - kind of like a chef's secret recipe!
For example (shhh, don't tell anyone, but it might look something like this): "Hey Claude, you're that friendly AI helper from Anthropic. Keep things simple and throw in some fun examples to help people get it!"
2. User Prompt: That's You - The Star of the Show!
Here's where you come in! You're not just sitting in the audience - you're actually part of the show. Every message you send is like throwing a new plot twist into the story. Whether you're asking questions, giving instructions, or just sharing your thoughts, you're the one deciding where this conversation goes next.
For example: "Hey, can you explain this AI stuff in a way that won't make my brain hurt?"
3. Assistant Prompt: Your AI Buddy on Stage
This is where the AI jumps in and does its thing. Like a really good improv actor, it takes your cue and the director's hints to come up with just the right response. Everything it says is based on what you've been talking about and how the conversation's been going.
Now that you've met our theater crew, let's see how they work together to build something amazing. Instead of putting on a play, though, they're building something more like a tower - piece by piece, message by message. In fact, imagine swapping our theater stage for a giant Jenga game..
When AI Conversations Turn Into a Giant Game of Jenga
Remember how our AI friend is juggling all those theater roles? Well, here's where it gets really cool. You might think the AI just reads your last message and fires back a response, right? Nope, nope, nope! It's waaaaay more interesting than that!
Picture playing Jenga, but instead of wooden blocks, each piece is a snippet of our conversation. The AI is carefully stacking everything—and I mean everything—into one tall tower. At the bottom, we've got our director's notes (that secret system prompt), then all the back-and-forth messages between you and the AI, building higher and higher.
Let me show you what this conversation tower looks like:
Ground Floor (The Director's Notes): "Hey there! I'm your chatty tech friend who loves making tricky stuff super easy to get!"
First Block (You): "So what's all this AI stuff about anyway?"
Second Block (AI): "Think of AI as your super-smart friend who's read every book ever..."
Third Block (You): "Cool! But how does it actually learn stuff?"
Fourth Block (AI): "You know how you learned to ride a bike? Well, imagine doing that with a million bikes at once..."
Fifth Block (You): "Show me how this works in real life!"
Every time the AI reads your message, it's not just looking at the top block - it's checking out the whole tower you've built together. Pretty wild, right?
But wait - there's a tiny catch. You know how Jenga towers can't grow forever? Well, AI conversations have a similar limit...
When AI's Memory Gets Packed: The Context Window Story
Hold up! Before we get too excited about our growing conversation tower, there's something I should mention. You know how your phone starts getting sluggish when you have too many apps open? Well, AIs have a similar problem - they can only juggle so much conversation at once 😅.
Let's talk about something called a "context window" - fancy tech words for a pretty simple idea. Think of it like a whiteboard where our AI friend writes down our conversation. Sure, it's a big whiteboard, but even the biggest whiteboard has edges. Once it fills up every inch with our chat, the AI has to make some tough choices.
This is why something interesting happens when our conversations get long. The AI starts playing a game of "keep or summarize." And here's the thing - when it summarizes older parts of our chat, some details actually get lost forever. It's not like storing old messages in a drawer to check later - nope, it's more like taking a long story and squishing it into a tweet. You get the main idea, but those little details? They're gone with the wind!
And this explains why sometimes, if you bring up something from way earlier in your chat, the AI might seem a bit fuzzy on the details. Not because it's being forgetful - it's just that those details got trimmed away when it was making room for new stuff.
Pretty clever system, right? Though not perfect... which brings us to the really useful part - how to make this work better for us!
How AI Keeps the Conversation Going When Memory Gets Full
Here's where AI gets super clever! When that mental blackboard starts running out of space, it doesn't just randomly erase things - it becomes a master summarizer. Pretty smart, right?
Think about it like this: You know how good friends can catch up after months apart with a quick "Last time we talked, you were starting guitar lessons, planning that Italy trip, and geeking out about AI stuff"? Our AI friend does something similar, but in real-time and behind the scenes.
As you chat away, it's constantly playing a game of "keep the important stuff." Imagine someone taking detailed notes of your conversation, then condensing three pages into a powerful paragraph that captures all the key points. That's basically what's happening in the AI's mind - except it's doing this at lightning speed, all while keeping your conversation flowing naturally.
The really cool part? You never see this mental gymnastics happening! It's like a master chef keeping the kitchen spotless while serving up a perfect meal - you just enjoy the results without seeing all the careful coordination happening behind those kitchen doors.
And here's the thing that blows my mind: the AI isn't just summarizing randomly - it's strategically deciding what details might be important for whatever you might say next. Pretty impressive for a digital conversation partner, wouldn't you say?
Okay, But Why Does All This Matter?
Let me share something embarrassing - I used to have the MOST chaotic AI conversations ever! One minute I'm asking about quantum physics, next about cookie recipes, then jumping to Spanish grammar. Sure, the AI would answer, but something felt... off. You know that feeling when someone's nodding along but their eyes say "I am so lost right now"? That's exactly what was happening!
This led me to figure out something super useful: AI chats work way better when they're more like a chill coffee date than a crazy family reunion where everyone's talking over each other. Keeping your chat focused is like giving your AI friend a clear path instead of making them run through a maze blindfolded!
Your Quick Guide to Better AI Chats
After tons of trial and error (and some seriously confused AIs), here's what I've learned:
Be Crystal Clear (But Keep it Casual) Instead of "What about that thing?", go with "Remember when we were talking about guitar practice tracking?" The clearer you are, the better your AI buddy can help!
Stay on Topic (One Adventure at a Time) Think of it like Netflix - you don't watch three shows at once, right? Same idea here! Stick to one main topic until you're ready to start a fresh conversation.
Quick Callbacks Are Your Friend Just like TV shows do those "Previously on..." bits, remind your AI about important stuff from earlier. A quick "Like we talked about before..." does the trick!
Keep an Eye on the Memory Tank Long conversations are like long road trips - sometimes you need to check the gas tank. If important stuff came up early in the chat, don't be shy about bringing it up again!
Wrapping This All Up - The Fun Part!
Next time you're chatting with an AI, take a second to appreciate the wild dance happening behind the scenes. You're not just typing messages into the void - you're building this amazing conversation tower, piece by piece, with a partner that's constantly juggling prompts, memories, and summaries.
Think about it - your messages are like adding blocks to this growing tower of conversation. And while it might not be perfect (hey, whose conversations are?), now you know what's really going on when you chat with AI. Mind-blowing, isn't it?
I hope this peek behind the AI curtain helps you have better chats with your AI buddies. Remember, they might be super smart, but they're also juggling a lot up there in their digital brains!
Thanks for reading!
G
Hey! I'm Germán, and I write about AI in both English and Spanish. This article was first published in Spanish in my newsletter AprendiendoIA, and I've adapted it for my English-speaking friends at My AI Journey. My mission is simple: helping you understand and leverage AI, regardless of your technical background or preferred language. See you in the next one!