Onit: The Desktop AI Assistant Revolutionizing Your Workflow

What is Onit?

Onit is an open-source AI chat assistant for macOS developed by Synth, Inc., designed to provide users with a seamless AI experience across their desktop. It supports running local models as well as integration with major large language model (LLM) providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI. Onit aims to liberate AI assistants from browsers and specific apps, making them accessible system-wide whenever you need.

Key Features

Local Mode Support: Through integration with Ollama, users can chat with locally hosted models without an internet connection, ensuring data privacy.
Multi-Provider Compatibility: Supports switching between popular models including OpenAI’s GPT-4 and GPT-3.5, Anthropic’s Claude, and xAI’s Grok for greater flexibility.
Automatic Context Extraction: Onit automatically extracts relevant context from the active window or highlighted text to enrich conversations and improve interaction quality.
File Upload and Drag-and-Drop: Users can upload files or images via drag-and-drop to provide additional context for the AI.
Chat History Management: Built-in history lets users easily review and manage past conversations.
Customizable Hotkeys: Users can set personalized shortcuts to quickly launch and interact with Onit.

Technical Overview

Onit’s architecture focuses on privacy and flexibility:

Local Model Integration: By working with Ollama, Onit detects and uses locally installed models to enable offline conversations.
Multi-Model Switching: Users can freely switch between different LLM providers, avoiding lock-in with a single platform.
Context Awareness: Onit extracts information from the user’s current environment to automatically enrich chat context, enhancing relevance and efficiency.
Data Privacy: Local requests are handled entirely on the user’s device; remote API calls are sent directly to the model providers, ensuring data security.

Project URL and Installation

GitHub Repository: https://github.com/synth-inc/onit
Official Website: https://www.getonit.ai

Installation:

Download the prebuilt version from the official website and install.
Or clone the GitHub repo and build/run using Xcode.

Use Cases

Developer Assistant: Access code suggestions, debugging help, and documentation right from the desktop while programming.
Content Creation Support: Enhance writing, editing, or generating content for articles, reports, and emails.
Learning and Research Aid: Quickly query information while studying or researching to boost productivity.
Everyday Productivity: Manage schedules, tasks, and information lookup during daily office work.