Raise your AI right.

Out of the box, every AI is somebody else's. A carrierfile is one plain-text file that teaches it who you are, how you work, and how to behave. Your context stays in your hands and works in any AI. No account, no platform owning your memory.

Build your Carrierfile →
Free MIT Licensed No Data Collected
Name
Jane Smith
A short bio
Community herbalist and garden educator. Runs workshops at a neighborhood land trust.
Projects
Seed library Workshops Grant proposal
Build your Carrierfile →
Generalist Strategist Editor Builder
Communication Concise / Detailed
Friction Supportive / Challenge me
Creative Energy Analytical / Playful
Depth Surface / Deep dive
Build your Carrierfile →

How it works

Four steps toward sanity.

01

Build your context

Use the builder on this site. It creates a plain-text file with your context and tone.

02

Paste and "unpack" into any AI

Paste your Carrierfile into any AI. Type unpack and it's loaded and calibrated to you.

03

Pick up where you left off

Every session starts with the AI already knowing who you are and how you work.

04

"Pack up" when you're done

Type pack up at the end. The AI writes back any updates. Save the file. Carry it next time.

carrierfile.txt
# CONTEXT

Name: Jane Smith
Location: Portland, OR
Working on: Yarrow Commons (community herb garden), seasonal workshop series
Preferences: Hands-on learner. Examples first, then theory. Keep it structured.
Current focus: Expanding the workshop program, building a plant care guide.

# TONE

Communication: Direct and concise. No preamble.
Challenge level: Push back on weak ideas. Be honest.
Energy: Warm but focused. Match my pace.
Depth: Go deep when it matters, stay high-level otherwise.
Style: We're building together, not asking questions.

Why I Built Carrierfile

I built Carrierfile because I believe 1) your context belongs to you, and 2) we can all make AI better if we tune it to be a more useful and healthy tool and away from being a nonsensical attention-hacking chatbot.

I believe AI can even, safely, become a beloved tool. Anyone who works with their hands will tell you this is not strange or new, developing a relationship with a tool. We have our favorite screwdrivers, paintbrushes, and frying pans. We even say we love them.

And because of the speed of deployment in AI (models leaving the shop before anyone really knows what to do with them), in this moment, we are all actually engaged in the craft of this new technology. This is both terrifying and an interesting opportunity. What happens when hundreds of millions of individuals are all tuning their AI to be helpful, careful, and seemingly trustworthy? Will that lead to actual trustworthiness?

I say we embrace it. Let’s create the world we want to live in, or at least try to. It’s better than the alternative.

Finally, share this website and the carrierfile.ai builder with your friends, family, anyone who you think would appreciate it.

The newsletter

The Carrierfile on Substack
A weekly Take-Home Experiment from Anna and Calcifer (her AI) — one small thing to try with whatever AI you use. Written for non-technical people and anyone who likes to learn through play.
Subscribe on Substack → Read it first →

Built by

Anna Sutton
Anna (AB) Sutton — designer, attention-activist, and AI-collaboration specialist in Portland, OR. I help creative people make AI actually useful.

I’m currently open to full-time roles and freelance work — reach out to collaborate or just say hello.

Portfolio · hello@carrierfile.ai · LinkedIn

Ready to build yours?

It takes about five minutes. You'll have a file that works in any AI, forever.

Build your Carrierfile →
The builder runs entirely on your device. Nothing is sent to a server. Nothing is stored. We never see what you type, and we never have a copy of your file. It's yours. That's the whole point.
Step 1 of 6
About you

Just the basics. Your name, where you are, what you do.

A sentence or two about who you are and what you do.

Where will this file live on your computer? AI tools with file access can save updates here automatically.

How to find a path ↓
How do you like to work?

These tell the AI how to behave with you. Select anything that sounds like you.

What's your voice?

Tell the AI how you write and communicate. These are rules it should always follow when writing for you or with you. One per line.

Think about writing habits that bother you, formatting preferences, words you hate, or style rules you always follow. Your AI will learn more over time. This is just the starting set.

What are you working on?

Tell the AI what's going on in your life. Work, projects, or anything ongoing. It won't have to ask from scratch every time.

Folder paths help AI tools that can access your files. Don't know yours? Skip it. Your AI can help you find it later.

Choose your tone presets

Select one or more working modes to bake into your Carrierfile. You can switch between them mid-session by saying "new key" or "switch to [name]." The first one selected will be your default.

Import tones optional

Want more control? Build custom tones in the Tuner and import them here.

What should your AI always remember? optional

Add facts you want your AI to always know about you. One per line works great, but any format is fine. We'll tidy it up.

Safety note: Your Carrierfile is a plain-text file anyone could read. Never include Social Security numbers, passwords, financial details, or harmful content. We'll flag it if we spot it.

Already use ChatGPT, Gemini, or another AI? Copy the memory prompt below and paste it into your other AI. Then paste what it gives you back into the memories box above.

Your Carrierfile is ready.

Copy it, paste it into any AI, and type "unpack." That's it.

What to do next
1. Save itCopy or download. Keep it somewhere easy. Desktop, Notes, wherever.
2. Paste into any AIClaude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or whatever you use. Paste the whole thing.
3. Type "unpack"The AI reads your file and picks up where you left off. Instantly.
4. Type "pack up"When you're done, the AI updates your file. Save it. Bring it next time.

Want to control how your AI responds?

Use the Tuner → to build a tone preset and add it to this file.

Any AI chat window

Carry your context.