Collie: local AI coding agent that controls your browser, desktop, and code

Collie represents a shift in how AI coding agents approach the problem of fixing code. Traditional cloud-based agents read repositories and edit files, but operate in isolation from the actual runtime context. Collie's core differentiator is that it runs on your machine, which means it can access your logged-in browser session, interact with live websites, observe your desktop in real time, and run tests immediately to verify its work. The verification gate is the technical spine: when Collie fixes a bug, it doesn't just claim success — it writes a test that must fail on the broken code, makes the edit, and re-runs the assertion. This assert-verify loop ensures that a wrong edit triggers another repair attempt rather than shipping silently as "done."

The breadth of capabilities (desktop control, browser automation, screen recording, phone remote, editor integration) exists because Collie's agent built them all, according to the documentation. This is significant: the features are not bolted-on conveniences but demonstrate the harness's strength. A desktop app and iOS companion built by the same reasoning engine that fixes code suggests the underlying system is robust enough to handle real-world tasks end-to-end.

Collie also addresses privacy and control: all data stays on your machine unless you explicitly send it elsewhere. There is no account, no telemetry, and the default is local models or cheap API keys rather than locked-in subscription services. The architecture is intentionally simple — a small, honest harness with clear seams (ModelProvider, ToolRegistry, EmbeddingProvider, SqliteMemory) so each part can be swapped without redesigning the whole system. A built-in benchmark lab lets users measure Collie against other agents on the same tasks, and the documentation is transparent about what does and does not work.