The AI writing assistant brings AI-powered content generation and improvement directly into the text attribute editor on the asset page. It solves one of the most persistent barriers to governance adoption: the blank page. When a steward opens an attribute to write a description or definition, the assistant generates a contextual, standard-aligned draft in seconds. The steward reviews it, refines it if needed, and accepts it with one click. The assistant suggests, the steward decides.
The AI writing assistant is available for all text attributes (rich text and plain text) on any asset type. It is configured per characteristic, per assignment, by a Data Governance Manager. For configuration steps, go to Configure the AI writing assistant for a characteristic.
Important The AI writing assistant is a usage-based feature and consumes Collibra Units for each AI action performed.
How it works
When a steward edits a text attribute on an asset page, an AI assistant button appears in the editor toolbar, provided that an admin has configured and enabled the assistant for that characteristic. Clicking the button opens a menu of actions.
The following table describes the key concepts of the AI writing assistant.
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| AI assistant button | Appears in the editor toolbar when editing a text attribute that has been configured and enabled by an admin. Not visible on attributes where no prompt has been configured. |
| Generate new | Creates content from scratch using the admin-configured prompt and the full asset context, including the asset name, type, all attributes, and relations. Requires a prompt to be configured in the operating model for that characteristic. The output is shown in a review panel and is not saved automatically. |
| Improvement actions |
Available on any enabled attribute, regardless of whether a prompt is configured. Improvement actions act on existing content in the field. The available actions are: Improve, Summarize, Make shorter, Make longer, Change tone (with a tone submenu), and Translate (with a language submenu). |
| Review panel |
After any AI action, a review panel appears showing the generated or improved content alongside the configured prompt. The steward chooses one of three options:
|
| Scope | Available for all text attributes, both rich text and plain text. Not available for numeric, date, boolean, selection, multi-selection, or relation fields. |
When the AI writing assistant is used, the full asset context, including all attribute values, relations, asset name, domain, and community, is shared with the AI model to generate relevant content. Only enable the AI writing assistant for a characteristic if your organization is comfortable sharing that asset context with the AI model. This is stated explicitly in the UI when configuring the AI writing assistant for a characteristic.
If the asset contains sensitive attribute values, such as PII classifications or confidential business data, those values will be included in the AI model request. For organizations with strict data residency or AI usage policies, verify that Collibra's AI model hosting meets your requirements before enabling.
Using the AI writing assistant with smart checks
The AI writing assistant and smart checks are designed to work together as part of a complete governance by design workflow. Smart checks enforce the standard, the AI writing assistant helps the steward meet it.
The recommended workflow is as follows:
- An Admin configures a smart check on the attribute, for example: Description must exist and contain at least 200 characters.
- An Admin configures an AI writing assistant prompt for the same attribute, aligned to the same standard, for example: "Minimum 200 characters."
- When a steward opens an asset with a failing smart check, they see the AI assistant button in the attribute editor.
- The steward clicks Generate new. The AI produces a contextual draft using the full asset context.
- The steward reviews the draft, optionally refines it, and clicks Replace to apply it.
- The smart check re-evaluates automatically. If the attribute now meets the standard, the check passes.
Tip For more information on the Governance by design toolkit and how smart checks, lifecycle management, and the AI writing assistant work together, go to About the Governance by design toolkit.