15Five uses AI across multiple product areas: Kona, Meeting Assistant, Focus Briefs, AI-Assisted Reviews, and Amaya. These are not separate tools. They are connected capabilities that share a common data foundation called the Context Layer.
This article explains how the Context Layer works, what each AI capability does, and how data flows between them. For detailed setup and usage, see the linked articles for each capability.
The Context Layer
The Context Layer is the shared data infrastructure that powers all of 15Five's AI capabilities. It continuously aggregates organizational knowledge into three areas:
- People and Performance Context — A living record of each employee's history within 15Five: roles, tenure, performance reviews, engagement scores, competencies, Objectives, 1-on-1 notes, Check-ins, and key milestones such as promotions or manager changes.
- Work Context — Execution data from connected productivity, messaging, and collaboration tools (such as Slack, Google Calendar, Jira, and Asana), alongside strategic company frameworks like values, goals, and role definitions.
- Added Context — Written guidance provided by users at all levels of the organization to shape how 15Five AI reasons. This includes Company Context (set by HR or Company Admins) and My Context (set by individuals).
Every AI capability described below draws from this same foundation. The Context Layer is managed through the Agents Hub. For full details, see Feature Overview: Agents & The Context Layer.
How data flows through the system
Data enters the Context Layer from two directions: 15Five’s own platform data (reviews, Check-ins, 1-on-1s, Objectives, Engagement surveys, High Fives) and connected work system integrations. From there, each AI capability draws what it needs:
- Kona Notetaker joins manager and direct report 1-on-1 meetings, captures structured notes and action items, and syncs them to the 15Five 1-on-1 agenda. This meeting data becomes part of the Context Layer, where it is available to Focus Briefs and AI-Assisted Reviews.
- Meeting Assistant is an agent in the Agents Hub. Before a 1-on-1, it sends the manager prep: what is still open from last time and what has changed in the work since. After the meeting, it writes notes and suggested actions into the 1-on-1. Each company uses one meeting source: Kona Notetaker or Google Meet.
- Kona Coach analyzes meeting data alongside engagement scores, feedback trends, and manager effectiveness metrics to deliver personalized coaching tips to managers.
- Focus Briefs use the Context Layer to generate personalized, recurring briefs for employees and managers.
- AI-Assisted Reviews draw from the Context Layer — scoped to the performance period set during cycle creation — to gather evidence as Moments and draft answers for eligible open-text questions. This includes meeting notes from Kona Notetaker and Google Meet when available.
- Amaya answers natural-language questions from HR Admins using 15Five platform data, including engagement surveys, performance reviews, Check-ins, 1-on-1s, turnover data, and employee attributes.
Files uploaded directly to 1-on-1s or Check-ins from their respective feature settings pages are not read by 15Five AI. Files uploaded through the Context Layer (My Context or Company Context) are, however.
Data isolation and privacy
All AI capabilities follow the same privacy principles:
- Permission-mirroring: AI strictly mirrors existing system permissions. It never surfaces data to a user who does not already have structural access to the underlying source.
- Private calendar exclusion: Calendar events marked as private are filtered out before ingestion. 15Five AI never sees the subject, description, attendees, or location of private events.
- No model training: 15Five’s agreement with its AI sub-processor prohibits use of customer data for model training. The sub-processor does not retain submitted data.
For full privacy and data handling details, see What data does 15Five AI submit to its AI sub-processor?. For Kona-specific privacy details, see Kona privacy and transcript retention.
AI capabilities at a glance
| Capability | What it does | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Kona Notetaker | Joins 1-on-1 meetings, captures structured notes and action items, and creates a continuous performance record across the review cycle. | Employees, Managers |
| Meeting Assistant | Sends managers prep before 1-on-1s, then writes notes and suggested actions into the 1-on-1 afterward. | Managers (prep and notes), Employees (notes) |
| Kona Coach | Delivers personalized coaching tips based on meeting data, engagement scores, and manager effectiveness metrics. | Managers |
| Focus Briefs | Generates personalized, recurring briefs that surface priorities, patterns, and coaching opportunities from 15Five and connected work tools. | Employees, Managers |
| AI-Assisted Reviews | Gathers evidence as Moments and drafts answers for eligible open-text questions. Writers decide what is accurate and what to keep. 15Five AI does not choose ratings or submit reviews. | Employees writing self reviews, primary managers, and additional managers assigned to write reviews |
| Amaya | Answers natural-language questions about people data across engagement, performance, turnover, and employee attributes. | HR Admins |
| AI Synthesized Feedback Insights | Analyzes open-text survey responses to generate themes and summaries. | HR Admins, Managers |
| AI-Powered Recommendations | Generates action recommendations in the HR Outcomes Dashboard based on organizational data. | HR Admins |
Learn more
AI capabilities
- Feature Overview: Agents & The Context Layer
- Kona — Feature Overview
- Focus Brief — Feature Overview
- AI-Assisted Reviews: Feature Overview
- Amaya — Feature Overview
- Insights Dashboard — Feature Overview
- When should I use Amaya vs. the Insights Dashboard?
Platform features that feed the Context Layer
- Performance Reviews (Best-Self Review®) — Feature Overview
- Engagement Surveys: Overview
- Check-ins — Feature Overview
- 1-on-1s — Feature Overview
- Objectives — Feature Overview
- High Fives — Feature Overview