Short answer: Proto is a desktop AI agent for business teams that ERP•AI launched on 15 October 2026. You describe a job or a whole business system in plain language; Proto builds it in ERP•AI without code, then operates it, and it also works with your files and the web. It is alpha software for macOS, Windows and Linux and is free during the alpha.

By Agent Playbox Editorial · Published · Updated

Proto AI agent: ERP•AI's desktop agent for business

Key facts

What did ERP•AI launch on 15 October 2026?

On 15 October 2026 ERP•AI introduced two things at once: ERP•AI, a platform of business systems built to be used by agents, and Proto, a desktop agent that operates that software for you (launch post on X). The launch line framed it plainly: for 25 years enterprise software assumed that humans operate the software, and ERP•AI wants to change that. The company calls this “Headless SaaS”: ERP•AI builds the system you describe, then Proto runs it.

The launch post drew strong attention on X, passing one million views within days according to the post’s public counter, and it was summarised by AI Briefs the same day. Proto is positioned as “the AI agent for business teams” on its product site, where you brief it “like a new colleague.”

What can the Proto AI agent do?

Build business systems without code

Describe how your business runs and Proto sets up the data, approvals, permissions and dashboards in ERP•AI. Examples include a manufacturing ERP, a B2B CRM and a supply chain. Each system goes live only after a test run with sample records (proto.erp.ai). On launch day the team gave a concrete prompt: build a purchasing system where anything over USD 10,000 needs CFO sign-off; Proto builds it, then raises the purchase order, routes it for approval and waits.

Work across files, the web and your records

Proto reads spreadsheets, Word and PowerPoint files, PDFs, images and CSV exports on your computer. It reads and updates ERP•AI apps and records, and in its own browser it can use web apps you are already signed in to, such as webmail or a CRM. Operating other desktop apps is experimental and off by default.

Turn repeat work into skills and apps

When a job repeats, Proto can save the steps as a skill and follow them next time, or build an ERP•AI app, report or workflow for it. It can also start from one of 81 ready-made apps for areas such as HR, CRM and inventory. Workflows can run on a schedule or when a record changes, and Proto tests a workflow on a real record before switching it on. For big jobs it can split the work across helper agents.

How much does Proto cost and where does it run?

Proto is free during the alpha, according to its FAQ. By default it runs on ERP•AI’s managed AI plan, where the ERP•AI pricing page says AI is billed at the model’s exact cost plus an 8% Proto Agent fee. You can instead add your own key from providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenRouter or Fireworks, or use Codex with a ChatGPT account; then that provider bills you. ERP•AI itself charges USD 0 per seat and per app, and every new account starts with USD 100 of credit, valid for one month.

Proto is alpha software for macOS on Apple Silicon, Windows (x64) and Linux (x64), with installers published on GitHub. Features and file formats may still change between releases. Regional availability and company funding were not stated in the sources we checked.

How does Proto keep teams in control?

Control is a setting you choose. New installs start in Uninterrupted mode, so Proto works through a task without stopping. Switch it off and Proto asks when something is unclear and waits for approval before bulk changes to ERP•AI records and before risky clicks such as Send, Pay or Delete. Deleting ERP•AI data and changing who has access stay off until you turn them on, and every step is recorded so you can check what happened (proto.erp.ai).

Your files, sessions and Proto’s memory are stored on your computer. Each step sends the model only what it needs, through the managed plan or your own provider. When a task works inside ERP•AI, the conversation is also saved to that app’s history, giving teams a shared record.

What does Proto mean for business teams?

The worked examples on the product site show where an agent like Proto earns its keep: a collections run that checks each customer’s email history before sending reminders, a supplier price increase checked against the signed contract, and a stockout forecast that reads supplier email the ERP has not caught up with yet. In each case nothing goes out until a person approves it.

That makes Proto a natural fit for finance, procurement and operations teams that live between spreadsheets, inboxes and portals. Good places to start on Agent Playbox: the ops clerk template, the invoice intake and filing and contract clause extraction use cases, and skills such as data extraction and document generation.

How does Proto compare with Claude Cowork and Bees?

Claude Cowork is Anthropic’s agentic workspace for knowledge work on the desktop, included with paid Claude plans. Proto covers similar file and browser work and can also build and run the business system itself in ERP•AI. See Proto vs Claude Cowork.

Bees is a free, open-source desktop app that runs a team of agents with a reviewer step, using a model you bring. Proto is proprietary and tied to ERP•AI for building apps, but it also accepts your own model key and can split work across helper agents. Side by side: Proto vs Bees. For the bigger picture, read business vs personal agents and our coverage of Google’s Gemini Agent.

What should you watch next?

Proto is in alpha, so expect frequent releases; the release page is the best place to follow them. Worth watching: how ERP•AI prices Proto after the alpha, whether operating other desktop apps leaves experimental mode, and how many of the apps published during the launch contest turn into templates other teams can reuse.

We will update the Proto profile and comparisons as new facts are confirmed.

Timeline: how did we get here?

Agent snapshot: what do we know so far?

Facts below come from the agent profiles in our directory, each linked to its source.

Proto at a glance

Full Proto profile

Claude Cowork at a glance

Full Claude Cowork profile

Bees at a glance

Full Bees profile

Related comparisons and guides

Agents in this story

Proto

business agent

Desktop AI agent for business teams from ERP•AI: it works with your files, the web and ERP•AI, and can build and then operate no-code business systems such as an ERP, CRM or supply chain.

Claude Cowork

business agent

Agentic workspace for non-coding knowledge work: give it a goal and it works across your files and tools.

Bees

personal agent

Free open-source desktop app that runs a team of AI agents on your computer; bring your own model; asks before risky actions.

Frequently asked questions

What is Proto?

A desktop AI agent for business teams from ERP•AI, launched on 15 October 2026. It works with your files, the web and ERP•AI, and can build and then operate no-code business systems.

How much does Proto cost?

Proto is free during the alpha. On ERP•AI's managed plan, AI is billed at model cost plus an 8% Proto Agent fee; with your own key, your provider bills you. New ERP•AI accounts get USD 100 of credit valid for one month.

Does Proto act without asking?

It can. New installs start in Uninterrupted mode. Turn it off in Settings and Proto asks before sending, submitting a form, paying or making bulk changes to ERP•AI records.

Do I need ERP•AI to use Proto?

No. Proto works with your files and the web on its own. With ERP•AI connected it can also build and update apps, records, workflows and reports.

Which systems does Proto run on?

macOS on Apple Silicon, Windows x64 and Linux x64. It is alpha software, so features and file formats may change.

Sources

Updated