The Autonomous AI Browser & Cognitive Runtime for Windows
Built for Human Operators and AI Coding Assistants
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Download & install · Connect your AI program · Deutsch · Get help
Nova AI Workspace is a Windows browser workspace where you and your connected AI program work in the same logged-in tabs. Ask your agent to browse, inspect a page, compare information or complete a task, and watch its browser actions in Nova.
Nova brings browser interaction, persistent procedural knowledge, outcome verification and human handoffs into the workspace you use every day. The Experience loop demo makes that combination tangible, including what happens when a previously useful recipe no longer fits the page.
The Dual-Operator Model connects the person and the agent:
- Shared Context: You and your AI agent (Anthropic Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Google Antigravity, or custom agents) share the same browser window, authenticated sessions, and tab strip.
- AI Visualization: Watch your agent navigate, click and fill forms in real time. An optional on-screen cursor labelled "AI" shows where the agent acts, with an optional card for the current and next step.
- You Stay in Control: A tab an agent is working in says so; click it and confirm Take over to end the agent's control of that tab. Emergency stop in the main menu interrupts all agents at once. Typing or moving the mouse does not pause the agent by itself.
You need Windows 10 / 11 (x64) and an installed AI program such as Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex or Antigravity. Your conversation stays in that program; Nova provides the browser workspace. Your AI program may require its own account or subscription.
- Download Setup from Releases — under Assets, choose the Windows x64 file ending in
-Setup-<version>.exe. The other assets are an MCP bridge bundle (.mcpb) and a checksum (.sha256); neither installs Nova. - Activate. No account required — the setup comes with the shared alpha license already filled in.
- Connect your AI program. Nova detects supported AI programs. Follow Easy setup, click Connect if offered, and restart your AI program. Then ask: "Use Nova to research the current Microsoft Edge WebView2 release notes on Microsoft's official website. Open the relevant pages, summarize three recent changes, and give me source links and release dates."
Installation details: requirements and setup. Looking for the trial key? → Alpha Trial License
Note
Windows SmartScreen may show "Windows protected your PC". See the installation notes before continuing with "More info" → "Run anyway".
Warning
ALPHA SOFTWARE — REVIEW THE TECHNICAL RISKS. Nova is in active alpha development. Bugs, crashes, data loss and breaking changes may occur. Read the technical risk notice, Acceptable Use Policy, Privacy Policy, and license documents. The applicable agreed contract and mandatory statutory rights govern; reading this page or installing an update does not by itself accept new contractual terms. · Alpha status & known issues →
The interactive demo starts with an Experience loop: encounter a recurring notice, retrieve the experience on a return visit, handle a changed page, and verify an actual saved result. Eight smaller browser exercises are also included.
Download the repository and follow the guide to open the demo on a local HTTP address. Ask your connected agent:
Clear the release notice and save the sample draft. Check the actual saved result, ask me to confirm when needed, and record the verified notice-handling experience in Nova. Show me what was stored and its current learning level.
The first save request deliberately leaves the draft unsaved. Later, Site changed invalidates the original dismissal selector. Look for real knowledge and verification evidence from Nova alongside the page's counters. All records are simulated; this is a workflow demonstration, not a performance benchmark.
Open the demo guide → · Deutsche Anleitung
Agents can inspect DOM trees, measure element layout, compare screenshots against baselines, download files, run background crawlers, record and transcribe page audio, and manage tabs. The tools are grouped into 25 capability bundles that an agent loads as needed.
- Explore the complete MCP Tool Catalog.
Run multiple enterprise identities, staging environments, and personal accounts in a single browser window. Each sandbox maintains a completely isolated cookie jar, local storage, and cache directory, visually distinguished by color-coded tab accents.
- Read the Sandboxes & Profile Isolation Guide.
A Windows pseudo-console (ConPTY) dock inside the Nova window. It starts PowerShell 7 when it is installed and Windows PowerShell otherwise. Run commands, start dev servers or use git next to the page you are working on.
- Read the Terminal Dock Guide.
See what an agent is doing: the optional "AI" cursor marks where it acts, and a tab under agent control is marked as such. If an agent reaches a payment checkout or a 2FA screen, you can take over the tab, solve it yourself and hand the work back. Emergency stop in the main menu interrupts all agents.
Agents can sign in with stored passwords without the plaintext passing through the AI model. Nova keeps vault entries encrypted with Windows DPAPI for your user account and fills them into the login form or HTTP sign-in itself. API keys go into a secret store whose management tools do not return their values. Authorized terminal programs receive them as environment variables and can read or output them; the destination website also receives a filled password.
- Read the Password Vault & Secret Injection.
Transcribe audio and video locally with Whisper speech models. Recognition runs in the separate Outrider helper process; the models are downloaded once and then work offline.
- Read the Speech Transcription guide.
Traditional agent tools provide raw browser automation commands. Nova surrounds the AI model with an integrated cognitive runtime directly in the browser:
| Cognitive Function | What Nova Contributes | Architecture Guide | Video Demo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agent-Native Interface | Built with agents: familiar action names and scoped aliases connect learned expectations to Nova's canonical tools | Agent-Native Affordances | — |
| Evidence-Based Research | Supplies claim tests, source requirements and tools to capture and compare visible evidence | Evidence Verification Mode (EVM) & Visual Evidence | — |
| Procedural Memory | Remembers website interaction recipes, state, health, and visual drift | Phenomenological Knowledge Store (PKS) | Watch |
| Operational Awareness | Login state, plan and active model of a site, preserved as reported observations | Operational Knowledge (OK) & Real-Time Environment State | Watch |
| Episodic Task Memory | Preserves recurring tasks, work units, progress, and learned guidance | Episodic Task Memory (ETM) | Watch |
| User Context | Opt-in domain notes and preferences preserved across sessions | Browser Memory | — |
| Executive Control | Goal Register and safety/reflection gates keep intent and steps visible | Agent Awareness Gates (AAG) | Watch |
| Closed-Loop Verification | Expected state → action → verified outcome; evidence-based claims | Closed-Loop System (CLS) | Watch |
| Adaptive Learning | Candidate promotion pipeline that validates and re-checks on site drift | Agent Learning Pipeline (ALP) | Watch |
flowchart TD
subgraph Agents["AI Assistants & Coding Agents"]
Claude["Anthropic Claude Code / Desktop"]
Codex["OpenAI Codex"]
Antigrav["Google Antigravity"]
Custom["Custom Python / Node.js MCP Clients"]
end
subgraph HostProcess["Nova AI Workspace Host (NovaAIWorkspace.exe)"]
MCPServer["MCP JSON-RPC 2.0 Server<br>(Streamable HTTP, 127.0.0.1)"]
AAG["Agent Awareness Gates (AAG)<br>(Safety Checks)"]
WinUI["WinUI 3 Window<br>(Tab Strip, Panels)"]
Terminal["Embedded ConPTY Dock<br>(PowerShell)"]
WebView["Microsoft WebView2 Runtimes<br>(Isolated Sandbox Partitions)"]
end
subgraph OutriderWorker["Outrider Subprocess (NovaBrowser.Outrider.exe)"]
Whisper["Whisper.cpp Local Speech Ingestion"]
AudioParser["Native Audio Duration Probes"]
HardProbes["Hardware & Device Probes"]
end
Agents <-->|"JSON-RPC 2.0 (stdio bridge or HTTP)"| MCPServer
MCPServer --> AAG
AAG --> WebView
AAG --> WinUI
MCPServer --> Terminal
HostProcess <-->|Supervised Pipe & Watchdog| OutriderWorker
Explore the comprehensive documentation for operators, developers, and AI agents:
| Section | Focus Area | Key Documents |
|---|---|---|
| Getting Started | Installation & First Task | Installation • Your First Five Minutes • What's Next? |
| User Guide | Everyday browsing & workspace controls | Browser • Identity & Security • Agents • Tools • Settings |
| Core Features | Deep Architecture & Systems | Agent Awareness Gates (AAG) • Phenomenological Knowledge Store (PKS) • Password Vault & Secret Injection • Session Recording & Time-Travel Debugging |
| Research | Evidence, methods & empirical studies | EVM & Visual Evidence • Gemini research • BREACH |
| Components & Processes | Identify Nova-related processes | Main app • Outrider • MCP Proxy • TerminalRunner • ReplayValidator • WebView2 |
| MCP Reference | Tools & Protocol | Tool Catalog • Protocol & Transport • Dedicated Tool Guides |
| Integration | AI Assistants & Clients | Claude Code • Codex • Antigravity • Claude Desktop • Custom Agents |
| Troubleshooting | Help by Symptom | Connection Issues • Agent Behavior • Diagnostics Logs • Session Recovery |
- Local Execution: Nova AI Workspace runs on your Windows machine and keeps its data in your profile folder. It collects no usage analytics and does not send your browsing, cookies or tab contents to its own server; it contacts
nova-cognitive.comonly for license activation, renewal and opt-in crash reports. What your AI program reads through Nova goes to that program's provider. Details: Privacy Policy. - Encrypted Storage: Vault passwords, stored secrets and the MCP access token are encrypted with the Windows Data Protection API (DPAPI) for your user account; session recordings are encrypted with AES-GCM under a DPAPI-protected key.
- Supervised Outrider Process: Native hardware access and audio parsing are quarantined in a dedicated child process with hard timeouts and watchdog supervision.
Der lokale KI-Browser & die kognitive Laufzeitumgebung für Windows.
Echte Browsersitzungen · ConPTY-Terminal · Wissensspeicher · Scheduler · MCP-Werkzeugkatalog — lokal, transparent und auditierbar.
Du brauchst Windows 10 / 11 (x64) und ein installiertes KI-Programm wie Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex oder Antigravity. Dein Gespräch bleibt dort; Nova stellt den Browser-Arbeitsplatz bereit. Das KI-Programm kann ein eigenes Konto oder Abo benötigen.
- Setup herunterladen: Unter Assets die Datei mit der Endung
-Setup-<version>.exewählen. Die anderen Dateien sind ein MCP-Verbindungspaket (.mcpb) und eine Prüfsumme (.sha256); beide installieren Nova nicht. - Aktivieren: Kein Konto nötig, das Setup bringt den Alpha-Testzugang schon ausgefüllt mit.
- KI-Programm verbinden: Nova erkennt unterstützte KI-Programme. Folge der einfachen Einrichtung, klicke bei Bedarf Verbinden und starte dein KI-Programm neu. Sage dann: „Recherchiere mit Nova die aktuellen Microsoft-Edge-WebView2-Versionshinweise auf Microsofts offizieller Website. Öffne die relevanten Seiten, fasse drei aktuelle Änderungen zusammen und gib mir Quellenlinks und Veröffentlichungsdaten.“
Testschlüssel gesucht? → Alpha-Testlizenz
Weiter: Installation auf Deutsch · Erste Aufgabe (Englisch) · Hilfe (Englisch) · Demo auf Deutsch.
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Nova AI Workspace is developed by Joel Aniol and contributors.
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License: License notice · EULA and contract versions.
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Security vulnerabilities: Follow the private reporting route.
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Issues & Feedback: Report issues and feature requests on GitHub Issues. You can ask your connected AI agent:
Please prepare a Nova bug report following Nova's reporting guide. Help me describe the problem, collect relevant evidence, and check it for secrets and personal data. Show me the draft before submitting it.
Auf Deutsch:
Bitte erstelle einen Nova-Bugreport nach Novas Meldeanleitung. Hilf mir, das Problem zu beschreiben, passende Belege zu sammeln und sie auf Geheimnisse und persönliche Daten zu prüfen. Zeige mir den Entwurf, bevor du ihn absendest.
See Nova's reporting guide and the alpha reporting policy.
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Website: nova-cognitive.com
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YouTube: Nova Cognitive (@novacognitive)
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Contact: Joel Aniol — LinkedIn
Never a subscription.
Nova AI Workspace will never have a subscription model.Always free for those who need it.
Nova will always be free for people without income, people facing disadvantage, and students.
When Nova becomes available to buy, everyone will have the option to tick a box during checkout to say that one of these circumstances applies to them. I will not ask for proof, references, or explanations. Everyone has their own reasons, and I will respect yours.
Your privacy comes first.
We will not spy on you. We will never sell your personal data. We avoid collecting personal data wherever possible and keep any necessary collection to a minimum.
Nova does not collect usage analytics or track your browsing behavior. License activation and renewal require limited data; crash reports are sent only if you choose to send them. Connected AI providers and websites have their own data practices. See our Privacy Policy for the details.
Sponsorship must serve people.
If Nova ever accepts sponsors, we will only partner with those who make a positive contribution to society. We will carefully examine their conduct and will not accept sponsorship from those whose practices harm people, society, or the environment.
We will be fully transparent about every sponsorship: who supports Nova, what financial or other support they provide, what they receive in return, and any conditions or conflicts of interest. Sponsorship will never override these promises.
Built to help people.
We do not tolerate misuse that harms others. We use clear rules and safeguards and take action against misuse within our capabilities.
See our Acceptable Use Policy.
No arms-industry business use. Nova is not offered for business use by or on behalf of arms companies. Use for weapons, ammunition, military explosives, or military combat operations is prohibited. The scope and exceptions are defined in our policy.
This also excludes business use by providers of software, AI, or data-analysis systems specifically designed or adapted for military combat, even if they also have civilian customers.
Joel Aniol
Creator of Nova AI Workspace · Made with love
🇩🇪 Mein Versprechen — auf Deutsch lesen
Hilfreiche Technologie sollte Türen öffnen — unabhängig vom Einkommen oder den Lebensumständen.
Niemals ein Abo.
Nova AI Workspace wird niemals ein Abo-Modell haben.Immer kostenlos für diejenigen, die es brauchen.
Nova wird für Menschen ohne Einkommen, benachteiligte Menschen sowie Studierende immer kostenlos sein.
Sobald Nova zum Kauf angeboten wird, kann jede Person beim Kauf ein Kästchen ankreuzen, wenn eine dieser Lebenssituationen auf sie zutrifft. Ich werde keine Belege, Verweise oder Erklärungen verlangen. Jeder Mensch hat seine eigenen Gründe, und ich respektiere deine.
Deine Privatsphäre steht an erster Stelle.
Wir werden dich nicht ausspionieren. Wir werden deine personenbezogenen Daten niemals verkaufen. Wir vermeiden die Erhebung personenbezogener Daten, wo immer es möglich ist, und beschränken notwendige Erhebungen auf ein Minimum.
Nova erhebt keine Nutzungsanalysen und verfolgt dein Surfverhalten nicht. Lizenzaktivierung und -verlängerung benötigen einen begrenzten Datensatz; Crashberichte werden nur gesendet, wenn du dich dafür entscheidest. Verbundene KI-Anbieter und Websites haben eigene Regeln zum Umgang mit Daten. Details stehen in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
Sponsoring muss Menschen zugutekommen.
Sollte Nova jemals Sponsoren annehmen, werden wir nur mit solchen zusammenarbeiten, die einen positiven Beitrag zur Gesellschaft leisten. Wir werden ihr Handeln sorgfältig prüfen und kein Sponsoring von Akteuren annehmen, deren Praktiken Menschen, der Gesellschaft oder der Umwelt schaden.
Wir werden jedes Sponsoring vollständig transparent machen: wer Nova unterstützt, welche finanziellen oder sonstigen Leistungen erbracht werden, welche Gegenleistungen vereinbart sind und welche Bedingungen oder Interessenkonflikte bestehen. Sponsoring wird diese Versprechen niemals außer Kraft setzen.
Nova soll Menschen helfen.
Missbrauch, der anderen schadet, dulden wir nicht. Wir setzen klare Nutzungsregeln und Schutzmaßnahmen ein und gehen im Rahmen unserer Möglichkeiten gegen Missbrauch vor.
Details stehen in unserer Nutzungsrichtlinie.
Keine geschäftliche Nutzung durch die Rüstungswirtschaft. Nova wird nicht für die geschäftliche Nutzung durch oder im Auftrag von Rüstungsunternehmen angeboten. Die Nutzung für Waffen, Munition, militärische Sprengstoffe oder militärische Kampfhandlungen ist untersagt. Geltungsbereich und Ausnahmen stehen in der Nutzungsrichtlinie.
Dies schließt auch die geschäftliche Nutzung durch Anbieter von Software, KI oder Datenanalysesystemen aus, die speziell für militärische Kampfhandlungen konzipiert oder angepasst sind, selbst wenn sie zusätzlich zivile Kunden haben.
— Joel Aniol, Entwickler von Nova AI Workspace