What is the difference betweencloud AI agents and AI employeesthat run on your own computers?
Both do work for you. The difference is where the work happens — and that decides what the worker is able to touch.
The short answer
A cloud AI agent runs on the vendor's servers and works with whatever you upload or connect to it. An AI employee on your own computers runs on machines your business already owns, so it can open the files, mail and software that are already there. The first is easier to start; the second can do the work that only exists inside your office.
Side by side
| AI employees on your computers | AI employees on your computers | Cloud AI agents |
|---|---|---|
| Where the worker runs | On the computers your business already owns. | On the vendor's servers. |
| What it can work with | The files, mail and programs already on those machines — including software with no website and no API. | Whatever you upload, plus the services the vendor has built a connection to. |
| Where your files live | On your machines; we keep no copy. To do the thinking, a worker sends the task it was given to a language model — that text leaves, your file store does not. | Uploaded to the vendor, where they are stored and processed. |
| Getting started | One line to install, then everything happens in chat. | Sign up in a browser; nothing to install. |
| How it is priced | A flat monthly plan. | Commonly metered — per task, per action or per unit of usage. |
| If the internet drops | Work stops: a worker needs to reach a language model to think. | Work stops. |
Two rows above are deliberately not flattering. A worker still needs an internet connection, and the task you give it is sent to a language model to be understood. What stays on your machines is your data: the files, the mail and the client records.
Which one is right for you?
Choose workers on your own computers if
- The work involves files, mail or programs that live on your office computers.
- You would rather not upload your client base or your documents to another company.
- You rely on software that has no website and nothing to connect to.
- You want one predictable monthly bill rather than a meter.
A cloud agent may suit you better if
- Everything you work with is already in web services.
- There is no computer in the business that stays switched on.
- You want to try something in a browser this minute, with nothing installed.
See what a worker would do for you
Six ready-made workers, and you can describe your own.