# Cai

> Cai is a free, open-source AI action layer for macOS that lets you run custom AI prompts, scripts, and integrations on any selected text or image with a single shortcut.

Cai is a native macOS menu bar app that acts as a local AI action layer, letting you select any text or image, press ⌥C, and instantly run custom actions — AI prompts, terminal scripts, URL shortcuts, OCR, GitHub issues, Linear tickets, and more. It ships with a built-in local AI model (Ministral 3B via MLX) and requires no account, no API key, and no setup. All processing stays on your machine by default, with optional cloud provider support. Cai is MIT licensed and completely free.

- **One-shortcut workflow**: *Select text or an image in any app, press ⌥C, and pick an action — no app switching, no copy-paste loops.*
- **Built-in local AI**: *Ships with Ministral 3B via MLX out of the box; also supports Apple Intelligence (macOS 26+), LM Studio, Ollama, OpenRouter, and any HuggingFace MLX community model.*
- **Custom Actions**: *Build your own actions using AI prompts, shell scripts, URL templates, webhooks, and deeplinks via Settings → Custom Actions.*
- **GitHub & Linear integration**: *Connect via personal access tokens or API keys in Settings → Connectors to create issues and tickets directly from selected text or screenshots.*
- **Image to Text (OCR)**: *Select a screenshot or error image and Cai extracts the text, then runs any action on it.*
- **Clipboard History**: *Search, pin, and reuse your last 100 clipboard items without leaving your workflow.*
- **Community Extensions**: *Browse and install community-shared actions from the cai-extensions repository on GitHub.*
- **Context-aware actions**: *Cai detects content type (meetings, addresses, code, images) and surfaces the most relevant actions automatically.*
- **Keyboard-first navigation**: *Trigger with ⌥C, navigate with arrow keys, and execute actions with ⌘1–9 for a fully mouse-free experience.*
- **100% local and private**: *No telemetry, no forced cloud, no account required — everything runs on your Mac by default.*

## Features
- Local AI processing
- Custom AI prompts
- Shell script actions
- URL shortcut actions
- OCR (Image to Text)
- GitHub issue creation via MCP
- Linear ticket creation
- Clipboard history (100 items)
- Community extensions
- Context-aware action surfacing
- Keyboard-first interface
- Built-in Ministral 3B (MLX) model
- Apple Intelligence support (macOS 26+)
- LM Studio integration
- Ollama integration
- OpenRouter integration
- HuggingFace MLX model support
- Custom destinations (Slack, Notion, etc.)
- No account or API key required
- MIT licensed open source

## Integrations
GitHub, Linear, LM Studio, Ollama, OpenRouter, HuggingFace MLX, Apple Intelligence, Slack, Notion, Homebrew

## Platforms
MACOS

## Pricing
Open Source

## Version
1.4.0

## Links
- Website: https://getcai.app
- Documentation: https://getcai.app/docs/
- Repository: https://github.com/cai-layer/cai
- EveryDev.ai: https://www.everydev.ai/tools/cai