What is a context window — CCA-F Exam Prep

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L1.09|What is a context window
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Real story
A lawyer at a desk with a thick 200-page contract. On their screen, an AI summary showing clean bullet points -- but only the first 30 pages are highlighted. The remaining 170 pages are greyed out, fading into nothing. A red stamp: 'SIGNED.' Tense, dark office.

A legal AI was asked to summarize a 200-page contract.

It summarized the first 30 pages beautifully. Clear structure, key clauses identified, risks highlighted. Professional quality.

The remaining 170 pages? Silently ignored. The context window ran out. The AI didn't say 'I couldn't read the rest.' It didn't flag a warning. It produced a confident, thorough-looking summary of 15% of the document.

The client signed based on a partial summary. The missed clause cost $2.3 million.