diff --git a/chatmastermind/ai.py b/chatmastermind/ai.py
index 4a8b914..e94de8e 100644
--- a/chatmastermind/ai.py
+++ b/chatmastermind/ai.py
@@ -33,18 +33,23 @@ class AI(Protocol):
     The base class for AI clients.
     """
 
+    ID: str
     name: str
     config: AIConfig
 
     def request(self,
                 question: Message,
-                context: Chat,
+                chat: Chat,
                 num_answers: int = 1,
                 otags: Optional[set[Tag]] = None) -> AIResponse:
         """
-        Make an AI request, asking the given question with the given
-        context (i. e. chat history). The nr. of requested answers
-        corresponds to the nr. of messages in the 'AIResponse'.
+        Make an AI request. Parameters:
+        * question: the question to ask
+        * chat: the chat history to be added as context
+        * num_answers: nr. of requested answers (corresponds
+          to the nr. of messages in the 'AIResponse')
+        * otags: the output tags, i. e. the tags that all
+          returned messages should contain
         """
         raise NotImplementedError
 
diff --git a/chatmastermind/ai_factory.py b/chatmastermind/ai_factory.py
index c90366b..cd688b4 100644
--- a/chatmastermind/ai_factory.py
+++ b/chatmastermind/ai_factory.py
@@ -3,18 +3,24 @@ Creates different AI instances, based on the given configuration.
 """
 
 import argparse
-from .configuration import Config
+from typing import cast
+from .configuration import Config, OpenAIConfig, default_ai_ID
 from .ai import AI, AIError
-from .ais.openai import OpenAI
+from .ais.openai_cmm import OpenAI
 
 
 def create_ai(args: argparse.Namespace, config: Config) -> AI:
     """
     Creates an AI subclass instance from the given args and configuration.
     """
-    if args.ai == 'openai':
-        # FIXME: create actual 'OpenAIConfig' and set values from 'args'
-        # FIXME: use actual name from config
-        return OpenAI("openai", config.openai)
+    if args.ai:
+        ai_conf = config.ais[args.ai]
+    elif default_ai_ID in config.ais:
+        ai_conf = config.ais[default_ai_ID]
+    else:
+        raise AIError("No AI name given and no default exists")
+
+    if ai_conf.name == 'openai':
+        return OpenAI(cast(OpenAIConfig, ai_conf))
     else:
         raise AIError(f"AI '{args.ai}' is not supported")
diff --git a/chatmastermind/ais/openai.py b/chatmastermind/ais/openai_cmm.py
similarity index 93%
rename from chatmastermind/ais/openai.py
rename to chatmastermind/ais/openai_cmm.py
index 74438b8..14ce33f 100644
--- a/chatmastermind/ais/openai.py
+++ b/chatmastermind/ais/openai_cmm.py
@@ -17,9 +17,11 @@ class OpenAI(AI):
     The OpenAI AI client.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, name: str, config: OpenAIConfig) -> None:
-        self.name = name
+    def __init__(self, config: OpenAIConfig) -> None:
+        self.ID = config.ID
+        self.name = config.name
         self.config = config
+        openai.api_key = config.api_key
 
     def request(self,
                 question: Message,
@@ -31,8 +33,7 @@ class OpenAI(AI):
         chat history. The nr. of requested answers corresponds to the
         nr. of messages in the 'AIResponse'.
         """
-        # FIXME: use real 'system' message (store in OpenAIConfig)
-        oai_chat = self.openai_chat(chat, "system", question)
+        oai_chat = self.openai_chat(chat, self.config.system, question)
         response = openai.ChatCompletion.create(
             model=self.config.model,
             messages=oai_chat,
diff --git a/chatmastermind/configuration.py b/chatmastermind/configuration.py
index 0780604..d82f913 100644
--- a/chatmastermind/configuration.py
+++ b/chatmastermind/configuration.py
@@ -1,17 +1,40 @@
 import yaml
-from typing import Type, TypeVar, Any
-from dataclasses import dataclass, asdict
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Type, TypeVar, Any, Optional, ClassVar
+from dataclasses import dataclass, asdict, field
 
 ConfigInst = TypeVar('ConfigInst', bound='Config')
+AIConfigInst = TypeVar('AIConfigInst', bound='AIConfig')
 OpenAIConfigInst = TypeVar('OpenAIConfigInst', bound='OpenAIConfig')
 
 
+supported_ais: list[str] = ['openai']
+default_ai_ID: str = 'default'
+default_config_path = '.config.yaml'
+
+
+class ConfigError(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
 @dataclass
 class AIConfig:
     """
     The base class of all AI configurations.
     """
-    name: str
+    # the name of the AI the config class represents
+    # -> it's a class variable and thus not part of the
+    #    dataclass constructor
+    name: ClassVar[str]
+    # a user-defined ID for an AI configuration entry
+    ID: str
+
+    # the name must not be changed
+    def __setattr__(self, name: str, value: Any) -> None:
+        if name == 'name':
+            raise AttributeError("'{name}' is not allowed to be changed")
+        else:
+            super().__setattr__(name, value)
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -19,21 +42,27 @@ class OpenAIConfig(AIConfig):
     """
     The OpenAI section of the configuration file.
     """
-    api_key: str
-    model: str
-    temperature: float
-    max_tokens: int
-    top_p: float
-    frequency_penalty: float
-    presence_penalty: float
+    name: ClassVar[str] = 'openai'
+
+    # all members have default values, so we can easily create
+    # a default configuration
+    ID: str = 'default'
+    api_key: str = '0123456789'
+    system: str = 'You are an assistant'
+    model: str = 'gpt-3.5-turbo-16k'
+    temperature: float = 1.0
+    max_tokens: int = 4000
+    top_p: float = 1.0
+    frequency_penalty: float = 0.0
+    presence_penalty: float = 0.0
 
     @classmethod
     def from_dict(cls: Type[OpenAIConfigInst], source: dict[str, Any]) -> OpenAIConfigInst:
         """
         Create OpenAIConfig from a dict.
         """
-        return cls(
-            name='OpenAI',
+        res = cls(
+            system=str(source['system']),
             api_key=str(source['api_key']),
             model=str(source['model']),
             max_tokens=int(source['max_tokens']),
@@ -42,6 +71,30 @@ class OpenAIConfig(AIConfig):
             frequency_penalty=float(source['frequency_penalty']),
             presence_penalty=float(source['presence_penalty'])
         )
+        # overwrite default ID if provided
+        if 'ID' in source:
+            res.ID = source['ID']
+        return res
+
+
+def ai_config_instance(name: str, conf_dict: Optional[dict[str, Any]] = None) -> AIConfig:
+    """
+    Creates an AIConfig instance of the given name.
+    """
+    if name.lower() == 'openai':
+        if conf_dict is None:
+            return OpenAIConfig()
+        else:
+            return OpenAIConfig.from_dict(conf_dict)
+    else:
+        raise ConfigError(f"AI '{name}' is not supported")
+
+
+def create_default_ai_configs() -> dict[str, AIConfig]:
+    """
+    Create a dict containing default configurations for all supported AIs.
+    """
+    return {ai_config_instance(name).ID: ai_config_instance(name) for name in supported_ais}
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -49,30 +102,52 @@ class Config:
     """
     The configuration file structure.
     """
-    system: str
-    db: str
-    openai: OpenAIConfig
+    # all members have default values, so we can easily create
+    # a default configuration
+    db: str = './db/'
+    ais: dict[str, AIConfig] = field(default_factory=create_default_ai_configs)
 
     @classmethod
     def from_dict(cls: Type[ConfigInst], source: dict[str, Any]) -> ConfigInst:
         """
-        Create Config from a dict.
+        Create Config from a dict (with the same format as the config file).
         """
+        # create the correct AI type instances
+        ais: dict[str, AIConfig] = {}
+        for ID, conf in source['ais'].items():
+            # add the AI ID to the config (for easy internal access)
+            conf['ID'] = ID
+            ai_conf = ai_config_instance(conf['name'], conf)
+            ais[ID] = ai_conf
         return cls(
-            system=str(source['system']),
             db=str(source['db']),
-            openai=OpenAIConfig.from_dict(source['openai'])
+            ais=ais
         )
 
+    @classmethod
+    def create_default(self, file_path: Path) -> None:
+        """
+        Creates a default Config in the given file.
+        """
+        conf = Config()
+        conf.to_file(file_path)
+
     @classmethod
     def from_file(cls: Type[ConfigInst], path: str) -> ConfigInst:
         with open(path, 'r') as f:
             source = yaml.load(f, Loader=yaml.FullLoader)
         return cls.from_dict(source)
 
-    def to_file(self, path: str) -> None:
-        with open(path, 'w') as f:
-            yaml.dump(asdict(self), f, sort_keys=False)
+    def to_file(self, file_path: Path) -> None:
+        # remove the AI name from the config (for a cleaner format)
+        data = self.as_dict()
+        for conf in data['ais'].values():
+            del (conf['ID'])
+        with open(file_path, 'w') as f:
+            yaml.dump(data, f, sort_keys=False)
 
     def as_dict(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
-        return asdict(self)
+        res = asdict(self)
+        for ID, conf in res['ais'].items():
+            conf.update({'name': self.ais[ID].name})
+        return res