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Outputs

Output History

Store prior generations for a prompt or artifact and let people browse and restore them. Experimentation stays safe because earlier drafts are not lost.

Interactive demo

Output History
Write a professional email
2 hours agoGPT-4
Explain quantum computing
1 day agoClaude
Generate a recipe
3 days agoGPT-4

Overview

How might we design output history so people can trust and act on AI output?

When to use

  • Perfect for iterative workflows, creative tools, and applications where users need to reference, compare, or restore previous AI-generated outputs.

When to skip

  • Ephemeral tools that must not retain outputs for privacy.
  • Single-shot answers with no iteration loop.
  • Histories so long they need search you have not built yet (cap and archive).

Rules

  • Overwrite-only regenerate with no history.

  • History that cannot restore the full artifact state.

  • No retention policy for sensitive generations.

  • Restoring silently without marking which version is active.

Evidence

ProductImplementation
MidjourneyJob history and remix from prior gens.
ChatGPTPrior variants and canvas version affordances.
GitHub CopilotSuggestion cycling with prior options.
Figma AIGeneration history on design explorations.

FAQ

What should output history keep?

The artifact bytes or text, parameters used, and timestamp, enough to restore faithfully.

How is this different from conversation search?

Output history is versioning for one creative slot. Conversation search finds turns across chats.

How long to retain?

Match privacy needs; offer delete. Unlimited retention of sensitive gens is a liability.

Should restore create a branch?

Often yes. Restoring an old draft as current while keeping newer ones in history.