Assistants can access persistent Threads. Threads simplify AI application development by storing message history and truncating it when the conversation gets too long for the model’s context length. You create a Thread once, and simply append Messages to it as your users reply.
Assistants can access Files in several formats — either as part of their creation or as part of Threads between Assistants and users. When using tools, Assistants can also create files (e.g., images, spreadsheets, etc) and cite files they reference in the Messages they create.