ByteBotAI: Control Your Computer With AI

Run ByteBotAI locally on Windows and watch ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini operate like a coworker.

Every once in a while, a tool comes along that feels like it changes the game. ByteBotAI is one of those tools.

Most of us interact with AI in a browser tab — copy/paste some text into ChatGPT, get some output, rinse and repeat. ByteBot flips that on its head. It gives you a full Ubuntu (Linux) desktop **running on your own computer** in your browser that’s powered by top AI models (Claude, GPT, Gemini, etc.) and can actually do things for you.

That means instead of just generating text, ByteBot can do anything a person with a keyboard and mouse can do - but with the intelligence of AI. Some sample prompts:

• Use my Xfinity Account to start a chat with customer service about how slow my internet is

• Figure out what the 10 largest files are in my Google Drive

• Use Google Calendar to schedule a meeting with [organization] leadership and send them a Zoom link using my Zoom account.

• Use my Bank of America account to review the last 10 Amazon transaction on my credit card and use my Amazon Account to map Amazon orders to those transactions. Generate a spreadsheet report for me to review.

And the best part? You can spin all of this up on your own Windows computer with Docker Desktop in just a few steps. (If you’d like instructions for doing this on MacOS reach out via email: info@techtargs.com)

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Running ByteBotAI in Docker Desktop on Windows 10/11

1. Get an Anthropic API Key
   Sign up at: https://console.anthropic.com/settings/keys (you’ll need this to connect ByteBot to Claude).

2. Download and run the ByteBot installation script

   • Start Button → Search for “Powershell” → Right-click → Run As Administrator

   • Copy/paste the command below into Powershell (use right mouse button to paste):

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pldmgg/misc-powershell/refs/heads/master/MyScripts/Install-Bytebot.ps1' -OutFile "$env:USERPROFILE\Downloads\Install-Bytebot.ps1"; powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "$env:USERPROFILE\Downloads\Install-Bytebot.ps1"

1. Notes:

   • If you’re curious what that script does, just paste the above command into ChatGPT and ask it to explain it.

   • A restart might be required — just rerun the command after reboot.

   • If Docker Desktop isn’t already installed, a Terms of Service window will pop up. Click Accept, then Skip when prompted to log in.

   • If you see an error about the Docker Engine not being ready, close Powershell, wait a minute, then launch Powershell again (be sure to Run As Administrator) and re-run the command.

2. Enter your Anthropic API Key (when prompted).

3. Wait for the magic (~30 minutes). Eventually, http://localhost:9992 will open in a new window in your default web browser. On the webpage…

   1. Click the “Desktop” tab. You’ll now see a full Ubuntu desktop running in your browser. Open Firefox, log into your Google account, and you’re ready to roll.

   2. Go back to the “Home” tab → Choose your AI model (Claude Opus 4.1 works best) → Try this sample prompt:

In Firefox, use my Google account [user]@gmail.com (I’m already logged in) and write/run an App Script that determines the 10 largest files in my Google cloud storage.

1. Other fun prompts (be sure to log into the accounts first in Firefox):

   • Schedule a LinkedIn post 20 min from now.

   • Create a new invoice in bill.com for [client name].

   • Schedule a tweet using my X account talking about [subject].

   • Use Google Calendar to reschedule the all-hands meeting tomorrow morning to [new date/time] and notify attendees.

   • Use my Verizon account to download my last 3 invoices and explain what each charge actually is to the best of your ability.

2. Getting files off of the Ubuntu desktop

   There will be scenarios where your AI prompt generates a report or other files for you to review. In these situations, you need an easy way to get those files back into your Windows machine. To do this, we will install VSCode on your Windows machine via…

choco install vscode -y

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pldmgg/misc-powershell/refs/heads/master/MyScripts/Install-VSCodeDevContainerExtensions.ps1' -OutFile "$env:USERPROFILE\Downloads\Install-VSCodeDevContainerExtensions.ps1"; powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "$env:USERPROFILE\Downloads\Install-VSCodeDevContainerExtensions.ps1"

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pldmgg/misc-powershell/refs/heads/master/MyScripts/Start-DockerDesktop.ps1' -OutFile "$env:USERPROFILE\Downloads\Start-DockerDesktop.ps1"; powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "$env:USERPROFILE\Downloads\Start-DockerDesktop.ps1"

…and then…

• Open VSCode (double-click new icon on your Desktop) → in the bottom-left corner click the blue “><” icon → select Attach to Running Container...

• Select bytebot-desktop → Open Folder → /home/user → OK → A new VSCode window will open.

• To download from Ubuntu, right-click the folder/file → click Download

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Final Thoughts

ByteBotAI is still early, but it’s already one of the most exciting ways I’ve seen to give AI real “hands.” Instead of just telling you what to do, it can actually go out and do it. AND it’s (relatively) private.

Try it for yourself, play with the sample prompts, and let me know what crazy automations you build.