Sentient OS launches local AI for Apple silicon Macs

What did Sentient OS launch?

Sentient OS launched as an open-source personal AI for Apple silicon Macs, with Dan Kornas describing it on X on October 14 as software that works with existing apps and browser sessions, uses selected local sources, supports visible computer-use actions, and keeps knowledge in Markdown files.

The project’s GitHub repository says Sentient OS is meant to build context from a user’s life and work, then use that context to help with task handoffs, reply drafting and work prepared for approval. A secondary report from Donews described the product as a personal AI agent centered on local inference and on building a personal knowledge base from sources such as email, files and chat records.

How does the product work on the Mac?

Sentient OS is built around local processing and user-chosen data sources rather than continuous screen capture. Its repository says the app learns from sources the user enables, does not continuously record the screen, and can run AI inference locally after setup, including offline, if users choose local models and keep cloud sharing off.

The supported local sources listed in the repository include files, saved screenshots, iMessage, WhatsApp, Apple Notes, Apple Mail and Apple Calendar. A 2.0.1 release also added Outlook, Slack and Granola as knowledge sources, while Apple Mail and Calendar had already been listed in the 1.6 release as read locally from the Mac.

Sentient says it stores user knowledge in ordinary Markdown files in a local folder path on the Mac. The security documentation says optional cloud MCP sharing encrypts that folder with AES-256-GCM before upload, and that users can choose the AI provider. It also says no separate Sentient account or login is required.

What can Sidekick, Double Tap and proactive intelligence do?

The company splits the experience into several features aimed at different levels of automation. Sidekick uses its own cursor and can click, type, attach files and move between windows inside the user’s own apps and browser, while Double Tap drafts replies from the conversation on screen, the user’s knowledge and editable writing examples, then leaves the draft unsent.

Proactive intelligence goes a step lighter, preparing suggestions and next steps for review rather than automatically sending messages or executing tasks. The repository says Sentient can also wake a plugged-in Mac with the lid closed at 3 AM, analyze newly available local-source data, update knowledge and prepare suggestions before letting the machine sleep again.

The security page says Sidekick and proactive intelligence can use a selected ChatGPT or Claude account, a compatible API provider or a supported local model. The default Double Tap route uses Sentient’s OpenAI API path with Zero Data Retention for first users, according to the repository.

Who can use it, and what is the launch offer?

Sentient OS is available for Apple silicon Macs from M1 onward, with macOS 15.4 or later required. The repository lists 8 GB of RAM for the built-in model and about 10 GB of free disk space for initial setup, while the releases page for version 2.0.1 and 2.0.2 reiterates the macOS 15.4-or-later requirement.

The repository says the first analysis can take a few hours depending on the user’s sources and Mac. It also says the built-in model handles high-volume reading, while larger local models can be used for knowledge organization, proactive intelligence, Sidekick and Double Tap.

Sentient says the app can be installed via Homebrew cask, and that the next 1,000 users receive free lifetime access excluding third-party AI provider charges. The repository also says the company’s business model is enterprise integrations, commercial licensing and support rather than monetizing users’ private context.

Release 2.0.2, published by RushilM007 on October 14, adds the ability to change Sidekick and Double Tap keyboard shortcuts in Settings without restarting the app, and lets users export a diagnostic file for review before sharing because nothing is sent automatically. Release 2.0.1, published October 11, added Double Tap support in Gmail, Slack and iMessage and Claude subscription support.

What does this mean for privacy and distribution?

Sentient is positioning itself as a local-first Mac agent that can keep most of a user’s working context on-device, with optional cloud features layered on top. The repository says the product can run 100% offline for AI inference and supported local tasks after setup if users choose local models, local sources and keep cloud sharing off.

For founders and builders, the distinction is that Sentient is not selling a single always-on cloud assistant; it is offering a Mac app that assembles a persistent personal context from selected sources and then exposes that context through drafting, handoff and limited action-taking tools. The company’s open-source posture and AGPLv3 licensing, as stated by Kornas on X, may also make the product more legible to teams that want local control over sensitive work context.