AI models

Connect an LLM to turn on the assistant and AI features, and optionally add a decision model.

AI is off on a new instance. Metis Suite does not include a model: you bring your own, from OpenAI, Anthropic, or any service with an OpenAI-compatible API, including one you run yourself.

While AI is off, the assistant, smart replies, AI labels, thread summaries and the MCP server are unavailable. People on your instance can also turn AI off for their own workspaces and mailboxes; those switches cover every model call.

Set up the LLM

Open Dashboard, System, LLM under Drivers.

Field	What to enter
Driver	`openai`, `anthropic`, `openai-compatible`, or `disabled` to turn AI off.
API key	Your provider’s key. Optional only for `openai-compatible`.
Base URL	`openai-compatible` only: the address of the API.
Provider name	`openai-compatible` only, optional: a name for the provider.
Structured outputs	`openai-compatible` only. Turn it on if your provider supports structured outputs.
Chat and agents model	The model for the assistant and agents.
Smart replies model	The model for suggested replies.
Classifier model	The model that sorts mail into labels.
Summaries model	The model for thread summaries.
Images in summaries	Sends the images in a message to the summaries model too. Off by default.

All four model fields are required when a driver is on. Enter the model names your provider uses. You can use the same model for all four.

Without structured outputs, the page notes that summaries need a model with a context window of about 8k tokens or more.

Click Save changes and enter your authenticator code. Then click Run check in the Health card. It lists your provider’s models with your key and confirms that every model you entered is offered. If it reports “the API key was rejected (401)” or “not in the provider’s model list”, fix the key or the model name.

The LLM driver page with the Health card, the model fields and the Decision model card

You can also set the starting values before the first start:

METIS_LLM_DRIVER=openai
OPENAI_API_KEY=<key>
METIS_LLM_CHAT_MODEL=<model>
METIS_LLM_SMART_REPLY_MODEL=<model>
METIS_LLM_CLASSIFIER_MODEL=<model>
METIS_LLM_SUMMARY_MODEL=<model>

Use ANTHROPIC_API_KEY for anthropic. For openai-compatible, use METIS_LLM_BASE_URL, METIS_LLM_API_KEY and, optionally, METIS_LLM_NAME and METIS_LLM_STRUCTURED_OUTPUTS.

The AI usage page of the dashboard shows the tokens every feature uses. See Owner dashboard.

Add a decision model (optional)

A decision model is a second, optional AI backend. It answers typed questions about a message, such as yes or no, pick one, or a rating, with probabilities, in one call. It writes no text. It adds to the LLM and never replaces it.

The decision model is set only in the environment, and a change needs a restart. The LLM page shows it read-only, in the Decision model card.

Variable	What it does
`METIS_DECISION_DRIVER`	`systemone`, `openai` or `disabled` (the default).
`METIS_DECISION_MODEL`	The model name. Required unless the driver is disabled.
`METIS_DECISION_BASE_URL`	`systemone` only. The server’s address.
`METIS_DECISION_API_KEY`	`systemone` only, optional. A server that checks keys rejects calls without it.

METIS_DECISION_BASE_URL defaults to https://api.typesafe.ai/v1, TypeSafe’s hosted service. You can point it at any other server that speaks the systemone protocol, such as Ollama 0.35 or later.

The openai driver uses OpenAI’s decision model, gpt-6-luna, with your OPENAI_API_KEY.

A driver alone turns nothing on. Each feature has its own switch, all off by default:

Switch	Shown on the LLM page as	What it does
`METIS_DECISION_CLASSIFIER`	Inbox labels	Uses the decision model to label incoming mail.
`METIS_DECISION_SUMMARY_GATE`	Summary gate	Uses the decision model as a gate for thread summaries.
`METIS_DECISION_WORKFLOW_NODE`	Workflow Ask and Branch	Uses the decision model in the Ask and Branch steps of workflows.

METIS_DECISION_CLASSIFIER_BATCH (1 to 25, default 5) sets how many inbox label calls run at a time.

What leaves your instance

AI features send the parts of a message they need to your provider: the sender, the subject, a snippet, and the body only where a feature needs it. They send nothing for mailboxes whose AI switch is off in that workspace. The decision model receives the same fields.