Feature Request: Contextual “Ask AI” and Optional Notes for Selected Text
I would like to suggest a feature that could make ChatGPT much more useful for learning, research, and long conversations.
When reading a ChatGPT response, users often encounter an unfamiliar word, sentence, or concept. For example, I may see a word such as “portfolio” and want to understand its meaning without leaving the current conversation.
I suggest adding an “Ask AI” or “Explain” option when a user selects text, alongside actions such as Copy and Select.
The experience could work like this:
Select text → Ask AI → Small resizable window opens
ChatGPT could explain the selected word, sentence, or paragraph using both its general meaning and the surrounding conversation context. The user could then ask follow-up questions inside the small window without interrupting the main conversation.
I would also suggest an optional “Save Note” feature.
The explanation should not automatically be saved. Many times, a user asks about a word once, understands it, and does not need to keep it.
Instead:
Ask AI → Explain → Close
Nothing is saved.
Or:
Ask AI → Explain → Save Note
The user chooses to save it.
A saved note could remain connected to the original selected text and conversation context. It could include the concept, the explanation, and a link back to the original location in the conversation.
This would be especially useful in long conversations. Important explanations can otherwise become difficult to find hundreds of messages later.
The key idea is not simply a digital sticky note. It is a contextual note connected to the information that created it.
I believe this could be particularly useful for students, researchers, language learners, programmers, and anyone who uses ChatGPT for long-term learning.
The basic workflow could remain very simple:
Select → Ask AI → Explain in Context → Optionally Save Note
This would allow users to get additional information without leaving the context they are currently working in.
Thank you for considering the suggestion.