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AI Chat & Research

Master the AI chat interface to get the most value from your document analysis.

How AI Chat Works​

BillionLens uses an advanced Multi-Query Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipeline:

  1. Query Decomposition → Complex questions are broken into focused sub-queries
  2. Parallel Vector Search → Multiple searches execute against the document index
  3. Context Aggregation → Results are deduplicated and ranked by relevance
  4. Grounded Generation → AI synthesizes answers constrained to retrieved evidence
  5. Citation Verification → Every claim is verified against source documents

The Chat Interface​

The chat interface has three columns:

ColumnPurpose
Left SidebarConversation history - switch between conversations
CenterChat messages - ask questions and see responses
Right PanelSource citations - documents supporting the answer

Starting a Conversation​

  1. Navigate to your case
  2. Click Chat with AI
  3. Type your question and press Enter or click Send
  4. AI will stream the response in real-time

Managing Conversations​

  • New Conversation - Click "New Conversation" to start a fresh topic
  • Switch Conversations - Click any conversation in the sidebar
  • Rename - Click the conversation to select it, then rename in the input
  • Delete - Click the trash icon to remove a conversation

Writing Effective Questions​

✅ Good Questions​

Specific and focused:

What emails did Sarah Johnson send about the merger between March and June 2024?

Request summaries:

Summarize the key terms of the Operating Agreement.

Ask about people:

What is John Smith's role in the company?

Seek connections:

What documents mention both Acme Corp and the investment agreement?

Financial questions:

What were the capital contributions made by each member?

❌ Less Effective Questions​

Too broad:

Tell me about this case.

Better: "Summarize the main parties and their roles in the Operating Agreement."

Asking AI to make legal judgments:

Will we win this case?

Better: "What evidence in the documents supports breach of fiduciary duty?"

Outside document scope:

What is the current stock price of ABC Corp?

Better: Questions should be about your uploaded documents.

Using Metadata Filters​

Narrow your search using metadata filters:

Available Filters​

FilterPurpose
CustodianFilter by document owner
File TypeFilter by format (PDF, DOCX, etc.)
Document TypeFilter by category (Email, Contract, etc.)
ConfidentialityFilter by classification level
Date RangeFilter by document dates

Example: Searching Specific Custodian​

  1. Click the filter button
  2. Select "Custodian: John Smith"
  3. Ask: "What emails mention the settlement?"
  4. Results will only come from John Smith's documents

Understanding Citations​

Source Panel​

Every AI response shows supporting sources in the right panel:

  • File Name - Original document name
  • Production Number - Bates/production number if available
  • Custodian - Document owner
  • Document Type - Category (Email, Contract, etc.)
  • Date - Document date
  • Download Link - Click to download the file

Citation Quality​

BillionLens uses grounded generation - every claim is backed by source documents:

  • ✅ Answers are verified against your documents
  • ✅ No hallucination - only information from your files
  • ✅ Citations allow you to verify every claim
  • ✅ Confidence based on source quality

When AI Says "I Don't Know"​

If the AI can't find relevant information:

  • The documents may not contain the answer
  • Try rephrasing your question
  • Check if all relevant documents are uploaded and indexed
  • Try removing metadata filters to broaden the search

Advanced Techniques​

Follow-up Questions​

Build on previous answers:

You mentioned three contracts. Can you provide more details about the first one?

Comparative Questions​

How do the terms in Exhibit A differ from Exhibit B?

Timeline Questions​

What events occurred in August 2024 according to the documents?

Evidence Gathering​

What evidence supports the claim that John made capital contributions?

Best Practices​

📝 Start Broad, Then Narrow​

  1. First question: "Who are the key parties in this matter?"
  2. Follow-up: "Tell me more about Michael Chen's role."
  3. Specific: "What is Michael Chen's ownership percentage?"

🎯 One Topic Per Conversation​

Do:

  • Create separate conversations for distinct topics
  • "Ownership & Contributions" conversation
  • "Timeline of Events" conversation

Don't:

  • Mix unrelated questions in one conversation
  • Jump between completely different subjects

🔍 Verify Critical Information​

Always verify AI responses for important facts:

  • Check cited documents directly
  • Cross-reference with your own review
  • Use AI as research assistant, not final authority

💡 Types of Questions​

Document Summary:

Summarize the main points of the Operating Agreement.

People Search:

Who are the founding members and what are their roles?

Financial Analysis:

What capital contributions were made and by whom?

Timeline Building:

Create a chronological list of key events in this matter.

Conversation History​

Automatic Saving​

All conversations are automatically saved:

  • Questions and answers preserved
  • Source citations stored
  • History available across sessions

Organizing Conversations​

Give conversations descriptive names:

  • ✅ "Ownership Analysis"
  • ✅ "Financial Transactions August 2024"
  • ✅ "Key Personnel Roles"
  • ❌ "New Conversation 1"

Limitations​

What AI Can Do​

✅ Search thousands of documents instantly ✅ Identify patterns and connections ✅ Summarize complex documents ✅ Extract relevant quotes with citations ✅ Answer questions about document content

What AI Cannot Do​

❌ Provide legal advice or strategy ❌ Make subjective judgments ❌ Access information not in your documents ❌ Predict case outcomes ❌ Replace attorney judgment

Accuracy​

  • AI is highly accurate but not perfect
  • Always verify critical facts against source documents
  • Check citations for important claims
  • Use as starting point for deeper analysis

Privacy & Security​

Data Handling​

Your documents are processed with enterprise-grade security:

  • Files stored in encrypted, geographically redundant cloud storage
  • AI processing occurs in isolated sessions with no data retention
  • Document content is never used for model training
  • All transmissions encrypted with TLS 1.3

Best Practices​

  • Verify critical information against source documents
  • Use professional judgment about sensitive queries
  • Maintain standard privilege review protocols

Next: Learn about Entity Extraction for automated analysis.