Download
NewTracking by field and request type

Think first.
Then ask AI.

Think First keeps a record of every question you ask AI, by field and by type of request. Before an answer appears, you write down your own guess.

Download for free Try the demo

Browser extension · Mac app · VS Code · Free and open source

Try the demo

  1. Ask
  2. Guess
  3. Compare
Ask something first

Example requests

  • regex that matches emailsSoftware · WriteClose
  • 'affect' or 'effect' here?Writing · FixNailed it
  • why did Rome fallHistory · ExplainWay off
  • split a $184 bill 5 waysMath · ExplainNailed it
  • summarize this leaseLaw · SummarizeSkipped
  • how to push back on a deadlinePersonal · DecideClose
  • what's a p-value, reallyScience · ExplainClose
  • SQL join returning duplicatesSoftware · FixWay off
  • translate this email to SpanishLanguages · TranslateSkipped

Answers are instant now. That changes how you think.

Asking AI isn't the problem. What slips away is the habit of trying to answer first, and nobody notices it going.

  1. You don't have to wait for answers anymore

    Finding something out used to mean searching, reading, or asking someone. Now a complete answer shows up in seconds, for almost anything. When nothing makes you wait, you stop trying first.

  2. Your memory relaxes when something else holds the answer

    Psychologists call this cognitive offloading: when you know an answer is stored somewhere else, you put less effort into remembering it. That's fine for phone numbers. It costs more when it's how you debug, write, or reason through a problem.

  3. Trying first helps you remember, even when you're wrong

    Research on the generation effect and retrieval practice keeps finding that attempting an answer before seeing the right one helps you remember it better. A wrong guess still helps.

  4. Nothing tracks what you hand off

    Screen time apps count hours. None of them show which kinds of thinking you now leave to AI, or in which fields.

Every field. Every kind of request. One record.

Each prompt is filed twice: by field, from software to law to medicine to your own writing, and by request type: explain, write, fix, summarize, decide, translate. Over time you can see what you still work out yourself and what you now hand to AI.

Requests in the last 30 days by field and request type
FieldExplainWriteFixSummarizeDecideTranslateTotal
Software223148690116
Writing43826113587
Science2732141047
Math1911200032
Business61741511154
Law940125030
Health130057025
Languages869002144
History122080022
Personal571216031
Last 30 days · 488 requests Fewer More

About ten seconds between the prompt and the answer.

  1. You ask as usual

    Think First works inside the AI tools you already use. The answer is generated as normal, then held back.

  2. You write a guess

    A sentence, a number, an outline. The answer unlocks once you've committed. Formatting and translation requests can skip the guess.

  3. The request is filed

    Each exchange is tagged by field and request type, along with how close your guess was.

Find out where your own judgment is slipping.

Each field tracks how often you ask and how close your guesses land. When accuracy drops in one area, Think First tells you, so you know what to practice.

Sep 21 – 27Guess accuracy
  • Software
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Law
  • Math
  • Business
Software accuracy fell from 71% to 58%. For the next week, guessing is required on all debugging prompts.

For anyone who wants to keep their own skills.

  • Students

    Remember it when the exam comes.

    Guessing before you read the answer is retrieval practice, which is one of the most reliable ways to learn.

  • Professionals

    Keep your skills in the work you're paid for.

    See the fields and request types where you've come to rely on AI most, and whether your guesses are still accurate.

  • Teachers & schools

    Allow AI in class without giving up the thinking.

    Students guess before every answer and see their own accuracy by subject. Their prompts and stats stay on their own device, so nothing is reported to anyone else.

  • Everyone else

    See how much you already knew.

    Most people guess right more often than they expect. It's also useful to see where they don't.

Questions

Can I skip the guess?

Yes. Press Esc to skip any guess, set a minimum message length, or only be asked on the tasks you use AI for most. Skips are logged too, so you can see how often you use them.

Which AI tools does it work with?

The guess box works on Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini in the browser. Prompt counting also covers Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, DeepSeek, Grok, Mistral Le Chat, and Poe. The Mac app counts Claude Code, Codex CLI, and Gemini CLI, and time in desktop AI apps.

Can you read my prompts?

No. There is no Think First server and no account. Prompts, guesses, and stats are stored on your own device. Comparisons use the AI model built into Chrome, which runs locally. If you add your own API key instead, the question, guess, and answer go to that provider under your account.

Is it really free?

Yes. Think First is free and open source. The optional API key route costs a fraction of a cent per comparison, billed by the AI provider to your own account.

What can't it see?

Prompts typed inside desktop apps (only time is counted there), chat panels inside code editors, and browsers without the extension, such as Safari and Firefox.

Does it work on Windows?

The browser and VS Code extensions do. The whole-computer tracker runs on Windows and Linux with Python, but there is no one-click installer for them yet.

Your answer first.

Free and open source. Setup takes about a minute.

Add to browser Download for Mac

Install steps