Ned AI

Alpha manual

Plugin version: 0.4.1-alpha Manual version: 0.3.1 Last updated: 2 September 2026

Ned AI (local_nedai) is the shared AI platform for Ned Tools plugins and the foundation for the optional Ned assistant in Moodle. It connects directly to Ned Cloud through the licence configured in Ned Hub.

Development preview: the persistent Ned launcher and chat panel are available to eligible logged-in users when enabled. Credit purchases, automatic top-up, attachments, and server-side conversation history are not active yet.

Requirements

Moodle 4.5 or later.
Ned Hub 0.1.5 or later, with a valid Ned Tools licence.
Outbound HTTPS access from Moodle to the Ned Cloud URL configured in Ned Hub.

Install and configure

Install local_nedai in Moodle's local/nedai directory and complete the Moodle upgrade process.
Open Site administration → Plugins → Local plugins → Ned AI.
Enable Ned AI platform to allow Ned Tools plugins to use the shared service when the licence and credit checks pass.
Enable Ned assistant to show the persistent launcher to logged-in users with the local/nedai:useassistant capability.

Settings

Setting	Purpose
Enable the Ned AI platform	Allows registered Ned Tools plugins to request Ned Cloud AI services when the site has a valid Ned Hub licence and sufficient credits.
Enable the Ned assistant	Shows the persistent green Ned launcher and chat panel independently of platform requests from other plugins.

The licence key and Ned Cloud URL remain controlled in Ned Hub. Moodle AI Manager and a separate Moodle AI provider plugin are not required.

Test the OpenAI connection

Ask the Ned Cloud operator to configure the OpenAI API key privately on the server.
Enable Ned AI platform.
Open Site administration → Plugins → Local plugins → Test AI connection.
Enter a short prompt and send it. A successful response displays the provider, model, token usage, and Ned AI credits charged.

The OpenAI key is never stored in Moodle or committed to GitHub. Test prompts are sent from Moodle to Ned Cloud and then to OpenAI.

Use the Ned assistant

The green Ned launcher appears at the lower-right edge of eligible pages.
The responsive panel includes current-page context, starter prompts, New chat, keyboard controls, busy and unread indicators, and an AI accuracy notice.
Conversation history is stored only in the current browser session and is cleared by New chat or when the browser session ends.
Administrators who can configure Ned AI see Ned Tokens: used / available above the conversation. Other users do not see licence or credit information.
Each response updates the administrator token display.

Credit status

Open Site administration → Plugins → Local plugins → Ned AI credits to see the licence plan, credit period, included credits, purchased credits, used credits, and remaining credits. Access requires the local/nedai:configure capability.

The current ledger is a development preview. Included allowances default to zero until commercial licence packages are approved. Purchasing and automatic top-up are not yet available.

Privacy and data sharing

Processing location	What happens in the current preview
Processed locally in Moodle	Feature settings, capability checks, page context preparation, and session-only browser chat history.
Sent to Ned Cloud	Ned Hub licence credentials, assistant messages, recent session history, course name, page title, and page path. Ned Cloud authenticates, meters, and forwards the request.
Sent to third-party AI providers	Assistant messages, recent conversation context, and limited page context are sent by Ned Cloud to OpenAI. The OpenAI API key remains on Ned Cloud, and Moodle user IDs are not included.

Troubleshooting

Ned Hub required: install and validate Ned Hub before using Ned AI.
Platform disabled: enable the Ned AI platform in the plugin settings.
Credit request failed: verify the licence and Ned Cloud connection in Ned Hub.
Zero credits: the preview intentionally uses zero default allowances until licence package amounts are configured.
Provider not configured: add the OpenAI API key to the private Ned Cloud server configuration.
Connection test fails: confirm the platform is enabled, credits are available, and the OpenAI account has API funds and model access.
No green Ned launcher: enable both the Ned AI platform and Ned assistant, confirm the user is logged in, and verify the local/nedai:useassistant capability.
Tokens are not visible: only users with permission to configure Ned AI can see used and available Ned Tokens.
Old messages remain: choose New chat to clear session history.

Current alpha limits

This release provides the persistent Ned assistant and administrator connection test through Ned Cloud. It does not yet provide attachments, server-side conversation history, teacher-managed shortcuts, human-support escalation, credit purchases, or automatic top-ups.

Change history

Summary of merged commits that established or changed this plugin.

2 Sep 202605a2b38Migrated the assistant to Moodle 4.5’s output hook and fixed the late-stylesheet coding error in version 0.4.1-alpha.
2 Sep 20263614f1cAdded the persistent Ned launcher, responsive session-based chat, page context, starter prompts, accessibility controls, and administrator used/available token display for version 0.4.0-alpha.
1 Sep 20265434552Added the centrally managed OpenAI connection, token-to-credit metering, and administrator test page for Ned AI 0.3.0-alpha.
1 Sep 202659cd56cAdded the Ned Cloud credit-status preview and licence-linked development credit ledger.
1 Sep 2026d32780bEstablished the shared Ned AI plugin architecture, feature controls, and development roadmap.
1 Sep 20267f82c2fCreated the Ned AI repository.