Which AI to Use
Tab completion, the AI chat, and work modes overlap. Here's which one to reach for, and when.
Last updated: June 24, 2026
There are three places AI shows up while you write in Muses, and they overlap enough that the most common beginner question is simply: which one do I reach for? This page tells them apart in one table, then points you to the deep dive for each.
The three entry points
| If you want to… | Reach for | How you trigger it |
|---|---|---|
| Keep your flow and finish the sentence or paragraph you're already writing | Tab completion | Press Tab in the editor |
| Ask, iterate, gather sources, or rewrite a chunk in a back-and-forth | AI chat | Type in the chat panel beside your draft |
| Point the AI hard at one stage of writing — brainstorming, research, outlining, review, proofreading | Work modes | Pick a mode in the chat input before you send |
Tab completion — stay in the flow
Press Tab where your cursor sits and the AI continues your text right there in the editor. A preview appears; press space or enter to accept it, or Esc to dismiss it. Nothing is written until you accept.
It's the lightest-weight option, and the best one when you're mid-draft and just want to keep moving. It doesn't hold a conversation or search the web — it picks up your thread and carries it forward. See Drafting Your First Draft.
AI chat — talk it through
The chat panel sits beside your draft. Use it when the task is bigger than a sentence: brainstorming angles, outlining a piece, expanding a thin section, or rewriting a paragraph across a few rounds. It can pull in sources from the web, reference your own articles and materials with @, take the text you've selected in the editor as context, and generate images.
When the chat rewrites existing text, the change comes back as a diff you review and accept or reject — your draft is never overwritten silently. See Using the AI Chat.
Work modes — focus the AI on one stage
Work modes are presets you pick in the chat input. Each one points the AI at a single stage of writing and holds it there — a research mode reads your sources instead of inventing facts; a proofreading mode finds errors instead of rewriting. Reach for one when you know exactly which stage you're in and want the AI to stay in its lane. See Work Modes.
A quick rule of thumb
- Writing right now, want momentum? Tab.
- Need to think, search, or rework a chunk? Chat.
- Know the exact stage and want focus? Chat with a work mode.