AI employees with their own computer
An AI employee is an AI agent with a job, not just a chat window. It has its own computer with a desktop and a browser, a board of work, and it keeps going on its own, checking in with a person before anything important. Dofti makes AI employees called dofties.
Updated 3 November 2026 · 6 minute read
Chatbot, AI agent or AI employee?
The words get mixed up, so here is the difference in one table.
| Chatbot | Task agent | AI employee (dofti) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starts work on its own | No, waits for you | Only when asked | Yes, from its board |
| Has its own computer | No | Borrowed, per task | Yes, a permanent one |
| Keeps a list of work | No | One task at a time | To do, doing, done |
| Knows its job and your company | Per conversation | Per task | Always |
| You can watch it work | No | Sometimes | Any time, live |
| Asks before sending or buying | Not needed | Varies | Always |
What does "its own computer" mean?
Most of the real work in a company happens in a browser: websites, inboxes, spreadsheets, CRMs and admin panels. An AI employee needs somewhere to do that work. Every dofti gets its own computer, a full desktop with a real browser, where it clicks, types, reads and researches like a person would. Because the computer stays the same, the dofti keeps its tabs, files and sign-ins from one day to the next.
You can open your dofti's screen in the Dofti app at any time and watch over its shoulder, or take over for a moment and hand back.
What a proactive AI agent does differently
A proactive agent doesn't wait for a new prompt every time. A dofti:
- picks the next card from its board when it finishes one,
- follows up on things it started, like a reply it was waiting for,
- notices work that belongs to its job and adds it to the board,
- tells you what it did, in plain words, and asks when it needs a decision.
What can an AI employee do?
Anything a capable assistant could do on a computer, within the job you give it. Some examples by role:
Sales assistant
Finds leads that match your customers, checks their websites, fills the CRM and drafts first emails for you to approve.
Research analyst
Compares competitor prices, reads reviews and reports, and writes a short summary with sources.
Inbox and admin
Sorts email, books meetings, chases unpaid invoices and keeps your lists and calendars tidy.
Social media
Plans the week's posts, drafts them in your voice and flags comments that need you.
Customer support
Answers common questions, writes help articles and asks you before refunds or exceptions.
Operations
Checks suppliers for stock, watches prices and prepares the monthly report.
How Dofti works
- Give them a home. Dofties live on a computer you own, like a spare laptop or a mini PC, running Dofti Host. A hosted option is on our roadmap.
- Hire in a minute. Pick a role, give your dofti a name, a colour and a personality, and say what it's responsible for.
- Watch, steer, approve. Add cards to its board, watch it work in the Dofti app and answer its questions.
Is it safe to let an AI agent use a computer?
It should be designed so that you stay in charge. With Dofti, anything that leaves your company, such as sending an email, posting, buying or signing up, waits for your yes. Your dofties' computer sits in your home or office, and their work stays there. Our cloud only connects your app to it and runs your account.
Questions people ask
Which AI agents have their own computer?
Several AI products now give an agent a virtual computer with a browser, usually for one task at a time inside a chat. Dofti is built around ongoing jobs instead: every dofti has its own permanent computer, its own board of work and a role, and it keeps working between your messages.
What is a proactive AI agent?
A proactive AI agent starts work without being prompted each time. It picks up tasks from its own list, follows up on things it started, notices what needs doing within its job and reports back, while still asking a person before anything important.
Is an AI employee the same as a chatbot?
No. A chatbot answers when you type and stops when you stop. An AI employee has a job, a computer to do it on and a list of work, so it keeps going on its own and checks in when it needs a decision.
Can an AI employee send emails or spend money on its own?
With Dofti, no. Anything that leaves your company, such as sending an email, posting, buying or signing up, waits for your approval.
What does an AI employee cost?
Dofti will have a simple monthly plan with AI usage included. Prices will be announced before early access opens.