Lesson 986 of 1455
Cleaning the Chat When Claude or ChatGPT Gets Confused
When Claude or ChatGPT starts repeating bad answers, start a fresh chat — the context window is poisoned.
Builders · AI-Assisted Coding · ~4 min read
The big idea
AI chats remember everything in the current conversation. That's great — until you've gone in circles for 10 messages and the AI keeps suggesting the same wrong fix. Once a chat goes off the rails, it's faster to start a new one than to argue your way out. This is called context poisoning, and the cure is free: ⌘N.
Some examples
- Claude keeps suggesting `useState` when you need `useReducer` — you start fresh and it gets it first try.
- ChatGPT keeps including a deprecated import you mentioned 20 messages ago — new chat, problem gone.
- Cursor's chat insists on TypeScript syntax in your JS file because of an earlier confusion — clear and restart.
- Copilot Chat keeps referencing a function you renamed — fresh thread, real progress in 30 seconds.
Try it!
Next time you're three replies deep and the AI is still wrong, hit new chat. Paste only the current code and current question. Notice the speed.
Key terms in this lesson
End-of-lesson quiz
Check what stuck
8 questions · Score saves to your progress.
Lesson help
Questions are best handled with a grown-up here.
For this age range, Tendril keeps freeform AI chat paused until parent/guardian consent and child-safe moderation are fully verified. Use the quiz, notes, and related lessons below, or ask a parent, guardian, teacher, or librarian to work through the question with you.
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