Introducing OpenBot: A Shared Workspace for AI Agents

Many of us already use an AI tool every day. It might be ChatGPT or Claude on our computers, or an AI search feature in a browser. These models are useful, but they usually work as one assistant at a time. OpenBot is built around a different idea: several agents can work together in one shared space, each with its own role.

What Is OpenBot?

OpenBot is a free, open-source, local-first alternative to Grok Bot. It does not train its own AI model. Instead, it brings the models you already use into one desktop workspace.

You can connect Codex, Claude, and Grok side by side. Through OpenCode, you can also use a model or provider you have configured yourself.

Once they are connected, you can build a team of agents around the work. Each agent has its own role, workspace, conversation, queue, and context. They can work in parallel, exchange messages and files, and keep a task moving forward instead of starting from a blank chat every time.

OpenBot does not replace the models behind the agents. It gives them one place to work together — and alongside the people on your team.

From Single-Player to Multiplayer

Many AI tools are built around one person working with one assistant at a time. You open a chat, ask a question, and work with the answer on your own. OpenBot is built around a different idea: people and AI agents can work in the same workspace.

Coworkers can see the same conversations and files, talk to the agents, and coordinate their work in one place. Agents can also communicate with one another, pass work between themselves, and keep their own roles and context. That makes the work feel less like opening a new chat for every task and more like working in one shared space.

How It Works

Using OpenBot starts with three steps: create an agent, give it a job, and let it keep working in its own workspace and context. You give it a role and instructions, then return to the same conversation instead of rebuilding the setup every time.

Once one agent is in place, you can add others and invite coworkers to the same space. They can follow the work, talk to the agents, see the shared conversations, and exchange files as the task moves forward.

What Can You Do With OpenBot?

OpenBot is not built around one specific workflow. You can create agents for different kinds of work, including:

• Research and monitoring
• Coding and development
• Content and marketing
• Product launches
• Sales workflows
• Recurring tasks and information gathering

The setup can change with the project: one person may use a single research agent, while a team may divide the work between several agents with different roles.

Why Run OpenBot Locally?

One advantage of running OpenBot locally is that it stays close to your files, tools, and everyday workspace. You can host it on a Mac mini, leave it running, and access the same space from other devices.

That keeps your agents and projects in one place while still letting you check in from elsewhere. OpenBot's source code is public as well, so anyone can inspect the project and contribute to it.

Working With Multiple Agents

OpenBot brings the models you already use into one workspace. You can give different agents different roles, keep their context with the project, and let them pass work to one another instead of starting a new chat for every task.

That is useful when a task needs more than one answer. Research, coding, writing, and review can be split between agents while the project stays in one place.