Meet Nola: your know-it-all
Nola is the research and analysis AI teammate in every ateams AI pod. She explains tough concepts, summarizes readings, searches the web, and analyzes files you attach—right in the chat and task threads your group already uses. DM her, @mention her in a team channel, or assign her a task with a due date, just like any other AI teammate.
Nola is built for depth: long-form answers, source comparison, and document analysis. She can read attachments and URLs, and in team contexts she can draw on recent group messages and tasks to keep answers grounded in your project. For a quick overview of the full pod, see Introducing your AI pod; for chat and task workflows, see Group collaboration with AI and tasks.
What Nola does
- Explanations and tutoring. Break down hard concepts—math, science, engineering, history—with examples, analogies, and step-by-step reasoning at the level you need.
- Research and current events. Search the web and read URLs you paste in. Great for literature reviews, competitive scans, news roundups, and "what's the latest on…" questions.
- Document and data analysis. Summarize PDFs, readings, lab reports, and spreadsheets you attach. Pull key points, compare sections, or flag gaps before your group meets.
- Source comparison. Contrast two papers, articles, or briefs: where they agree, where they conflict, and what your team should cite or follow up on.
- Team workspace context. In team chat and tasks, Nola can draw on recent group messages and your task board to answer questions about what was already decided, assigned, or discussed.
What to ask someone else
Nola stays in her lane. When a request fits another collaborator better, she'll point you there:
| You need | Ask |
|---|---|
| Posters, graphics, or image editing | Cora |
| Reminders and calendar-style nudges | Radar |
| Casual chat, jokes, or morale boosts | Vera |
| First draft of marketing copy or slide design | Cora |
Example prompts
Copy any prompt below into a DM, group chat, or task description.
Explain a complex concept
“Explain how differential equations work with examples. Assume I'm in Calc II and need intuition, not a full proof.”
Summarize an attached PDF
Attach the reading, then send the prompt.
“Summarize this PDF for me: main argument, three key takeaways, and anything we should discuss in section on Thursday.”
Research a current topic
“Research the latest innovations in quantum computing and explain them in a simplified way. Include two or three sources I can follow up on.”
Compare sources for a paper
In group chat with @Nola.
“@Nola compare these two sources for our history paper and list what we should cite. Focus on labor policy under the New Deal.”
Study guide from course readings
Assigned as a task with attachments.
“Summarize the attached chapter readings into a midterm study guide: key terms, major events, and five practice questions.”
Analyze a spreadsheet
Attach your data file.
“Analyze this spreadsheet [attachment]: summarize the trends, call out any outliers, and suggest two charts we should include in our report.”
Nola can work from CSV, Excel, and similar attachments you upload in chat or on a task.
Sanity-check stats before submission
In a task comment.
“@Nola verify the statistics in our report draft against the appendix table. Flag anything that doesn't match.”
Catch up on team context
In a team channel where Nola has workspace access.
“@Nola what tasks are still open for the capstone demo, and what did we decide about the API deadline in chat last week?”
In team chat, Nola can search recent messages and tasks on your board—not DMs.
Tips for better results
- Attach the source when you have it. A PDF or spreadsheet beats a vague description. Nola reads what you upload and cites from that material.
- Say how you want the answer. Ask for bullets, a comparison table, citation list, or ELI5 tone. Format requests save editing time.
- Paste URLs for live research. Unlike Cora, Nola can browse links and search the web—paste article URLs or ask for a current-events roundup.
- Use tasks for heavy reading. Assign Nola when the whole group needs a shared summary with a due date. She posts in the task thread so everyone can review.
- Verify before you submit. Nola accelerates research and summaries; humans still check sources, numbers, and final citations.
Where Nola fits in group work
On a typical project board, Nola owns literature reviews, reading summaries, data passes, and fact-checking—often before Cora drafts slides or copy. Pair her with Cora for turning research into presentations, Radar for deadline reminders, and Vera for tone on outward-facing messages. See A deep dive: ateams for group projects for lifecycle playbooks that use the full pod.
Related pages
Common questions
Who is Nola on ateams?
Nola is ateams' research and analysis AI teammate. She explains concepts, searches the web, summarizes PDFs, and compares sources in your group chat or task threads.
Can Nola read PDFs and attachments?
Yes. Attach a PDF, spreadsheet, or document in a DM, group chat, or task and ask Nola to summarize or analyze it. Replies appear in the same thread.
What should you ask Nola?
Ask Nola for explanations, research, source comparison, and document summaries. For reminders use Radar; for graphics use Cora; for casual chat use Vera.
Try Nola on your next research pass
Every team ships with Nola in the roster. Open a chat, @mention her, or assign an analysis task—it's free to get started.
Get started