LobsterAI

// Overview

LobsterAI is an open-source desktop agent from NetEase Youdao that operates in a real working environment rather than a sandbox: local files, terminal commands, browser workflows, documents, spreadsheets, slides, scheduled jobs and project workspaces. It ships as an Electron app for macOS and Windows, with a React front end and SQLite persistence.

The architecture splits cleanly in two. Cowork is LobsterAI's product and session layer; OpenClaw is the runtime and gateway underneath it. That split lets the desktop app keep local persistence, permissions, UI state, artifacts, agents, memory and messaging bindings while delegating agent execution to OpenClaw. Long-running tasks stream their progress, tool output is rendered inline, and the app asks for approval before sensitive actions such as file writes, terminal commands or network access.

Beyond a single chat, you can define custom agents with their own identity, model, skills, working directory and messaging bindings, and install Expert Kits that package capability selections for common workflows. It ships with 28 built-in skills — web search, Word, spreadsheets, PowerPoint, PDF processing, Remotion video generation, browser automation, image and video generation, stock research, writing, email and skill creation — and connects to external tools via MCP servers. Sessions and app data stay local.

// What it does

• Desktop Cowork sessions that run long-form tasks against local projects and files, with approval gates before sensitive actions
• Custom agents with their own model choice, skills, working directory and messaging bindings, alongside a general Main Agent
• 28 built-in skills covering documents, spreadsheets, slides, PDF, browser automation, media generation and research
• MCP server support, with user-configured servers stored locally and synced into the OpenClaw runtime
• Scheduled tasks for recurring work — daily digests, inbox summaries, website monitoring, weekly reports
• Remote control from WeChat, WeCom, DingTalk, Feishu/Lark, QQ, Telegram, Discord, NetEase IM and email
• Artifact preview for HTML, SVG, images, video, Mermaid diagrams, code, Markdown and documents
• Local-only storage: sessions in SQLite, durable context in OpenClaw workspace files such as `MEMORY.md` and `USER.md`

// Getting started

Most people should install the packaged desktop build. Running from source additionally builds the pinned OpenClaw runtime from a sibling checkout.

npm install -g npm@11.17.0

Use `product-growth.xlsx` to build a visual dashboard and summarize the main growth drivers.

Every weekday at 9 AM, collect yesterday's AI news and send me a concise digest.

Turn the resumes in this folder into a screening sheet and shortlist the strongest candidates against the JD.

Commands and code are distilled from the project's own documentation — always check the official repo for the latest.

// When to use it

• Running office work end to end — analysing a local spreadsheet, producing a deck, drafting documents — with the files staying on your machine
• Kicking off or checking on a desktop task from your phone through WeChat, Feishu, DingTalk or Telegram
• Scheduling recurring work such as a morning dashboard check or a weekly report instead of re-prompting
• Giving different repeatable roles their own agent, model and working directory rather than one general assistant

// How LobsterAI compares

LobsterAI alongside other open-source assistants & chatbots tools AI/TLDR tracks, ranked by GitHub stars.