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The model selector lets you choose which AI model Sofie uses for a chat. Model choice can affect speed, reasoning depth, context capacity, response style, and how well Sofie handles long or source-heavy work. Your organization controls which models appear. You may not see every model described here.
Model choice does not replace source review. For regulated, quality, clinical, or controlled work, verify sources, calculations, conclusions, and final language yourself.

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Open the model selector

1

Open chat

Start a new chat or open an existing conversation.
2

Open the model menu

Click the model name in the chat input.
3

Search or browse

Search models by name, or browse the Recommended section and provider groups.
4

Select a model

Click a model to use it for the chat.
The selector can show:
  • A Recommended section.
  • Provider groups such as Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, or xAI.
  • Model names.
  • Short model descriptions.
  • A checkmark for the current model.
  • A star control for your default model.

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Set your default model

Use the star in the model selector to set your default model.
1

Open the model selector

Click the current model name in chat.
2

Find the model

Search or browse to the model you want to use by default.
3

Click the star

Click the star next to the model.
4

Confirm future chats

New chats use your default model when available.
If a model is no longer available, Sofie may fall back to the current system default.

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Choose by task

Use the task to guide model choice.

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Understand common tradeoffs

Model choice usually involves tradeoffs.
When a task fails because the source set is too broad, changing models may help, but narrowing context usually helps more.
The Recommended section is the fastest place to start. It can include models chosen by your organization or Sofie defaults for general chat use. Use a recommended model when:
  • You are starting a new chat.
  • You are unsure which model to pick.
  • You need a balanced default for everyday Sofie work.
  • The task is not unusually long, complex, or source-heavy.
Switch away from the recommended default when you have a clear reason, such as deeper reasoning, longer context, or faster iteration.

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Model choice and context windows

Each model has a context window: the amount of information it can consider in one response. The context indicator in chat shows approximate usage for the current model. Model choice can affect:
  • How much chat history and selected context fits.
  • Whether long source material needs more summarization.
  • How much room remains for attachments, search results, and generated output.
  • When a long chat should be summarized or restarted.
Even with a large context window, do not overload the chat with unrelated sources. Focused context usually produces better answers than a large, mixed source set. For detailed context guidance, see Context windows and summarization.

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Switch models during work

You can change models when the work changes. Common patterns: When you switch models, restate any important constraints if the task is sensitive:

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Model choice and Plan Mode

Use Plan Mode when the model needs to coordinate several steps, tools, sources, or review points. Model choice matters in Plan Mode because Sofie may need to:
  • Understand the objective.
  • Choose the right source path.
  • Sequence tasks.
  • Decide where review is needed.
  • Keep constraints consistent across steps.
For complex life sciences work, pair a stronger reasoning model with Plan Mode and clear source rules. Example:

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Model choice and Orchestrations

Chat model selection affects the current chat. Orchestration agents may also have model settings in the Orchestration editor when your organization offers choices. Use stronger reasoning for Orchestration agents that:
  • Interpret source-heavy evidence.
  • Decide task routing.
  • Compare conflicting information.
  • Produce structured outputs used by later agents.
  • Draft quality, validation, or regulatory text.
Use faster models for Orchestration agents that:
  • Rename items.
  • Classify simple inputs.
  • Reformat known fields.
  • Produce short summaries from already-clean source context.
For deeper workflow guidance, see Use Orchestrations intelligently.

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Good prompts for model-sensitive work