Block, the tech company founded by Jack Dorsey, has open-sourced Berd, a desktop application designed to unify AI agent workflows across various models and tools. Unlike browser-based platforms, Berd is a locally installed app available for macOS, Windows, and Linux under the Apache 2.0 license, allowing free commercial use and modification. It serves as a comprehensive workspace where users can manage persistent projects, conversation history, AI providers, and agent configurations, making AI agent work accessible beyond developers.
Berd distinguishes itself by giving agents unique visual identities and roles to help users easily differentiate them. Built on top of Block’s Goose agent framework, Berd acts as an orchestration layer rather than a new AI model or runtime. It emphasizes local-first data storage—conversations remain on the user’s device, credentials use OS keychains, and telemetry is opt-in and minimal. Enterprises can customize Berd distributions with configured provider settings and governance layers, although centralized management tools are not yet included.
Block’s broader vision involves integrating Berd’s single-user experience into Buzz, their open-source, multiplayer collaboration platform for humans and AI agents. This pipeline aims to blend private and shared AI workflows with seamless context and device continuity. While Berd is freely available as a desktop app today, Block may explore commercial offerings around enterprise deployments in the future.
