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Conduit

Organize & edit local files with AI from your browser

ProductivityOpen SourceGitHubYouTube
2025-10-28
56 likes

Product Introduction

  1. Conduit is a browser-based AI agent that enables direct interaction with local files on your computer through the Chrome browser without requiring installations or backend infrastructure. It leverages Claude AI to read, organize, search, and edit files directly from a user-selected folder while maintaining full local execution via WebAssembly. The system operates entirely within the browser environment, eliminating data uploads or cloud dependencies. Users retain complete control over file access permissions and data flow throughout all operations.

  2. The core value of Conduit lies in its ability to combine AI-powered file manipulation with uncompromised local data security. By executing all processing through WebAssembly and browser-native file APIs, it enables safe document editing, code refactoring, and content organization without exposing sensitive information to third-party servers. This architecture provides enterprise-grade privacy for personal and professional use cases while maintaining the accessibility of web-based software.

Main Features

  1. Direct local file system integration enables the AI agent to read/write files through the browser's File System Access API without requiring uploads to external servers. Users select specific directories for the AI to process, maintaining granular control over accessible data boundaries. The system handles both text-based files (code, documents) and structured data formats through native browser capabilities.

  2. Rust-compiled WebAssembly core ensures near-native performance for file indexing, semantic search, and batch processing operations. This architecture enables complex tasks like cross-file refactoring, document summarization, and pattern recognition across thousands of files while maintaining browser compatibility. Memory-safe execution prevents system resource overconsumption during large-scale operations.

  3. Change approval workflow requires explicit user confirmation before modifying any file contents, with side-by-side diffs showing proposed alterations. The system maintains an immutable audit log of all AI-generated changes, including timestamps and affected file paths. Users can rollback modifications at the file level or entire session level through versioned snapshots preserved in browser storage.

Problems Solved

  1. Eliminates security risks associated with cloud-based AI tools that require uploading sensitive documents to external servers. Conduit addresses compliance challenges for healthcare, legal, and financial professionals handling confidential data. The local execution model prevents potential data breaches from third-party API vulnerabilities or storage system compromises.

  2. Targets developers and technical users needing AI-assisted codebase maintenance without exposing proprietary systems. Solution architects managing complex documentation sets benefit from local search/editing capabilities. Researchers working with confidential datasets can utilize AI analysis while maintaining data containment within secure environments.

  3. Enables rapid documentation updates across multiple Markdown files while preserving formatting consistency. Assists in legacy code modernization through safe refactoring suggestions applied directly to local repositories. Provides localized semantic search across technical specifications and research papers without index latency from cloud-based alternatives.

Unique Advantages

  1. Unlike desktop AI tools requiring explicit installations, Conduit delivers equivalent capabilities through browser-based WebAssembly without system-level dependencies. The architecture bypasses app store distribution limitations while maintaining stricter security sandboxing than native applications. Updates propagate instantly through web deployments rather than requiring user-side upgrades.

  2. Integrated Rust/JavaScript runtime enables direct memory access for file operations while maintaining browser security constraints. The system combines WebAssembly's computational efficiency with web workers for parallel processing of large datasets. Cryptographic hashing of file trees ensures change detection accuracy comparable to local Git implementations.

  3. Competitive edge stems from zero-data-exfiltration guarantees verified through inspectable browser network activity. Performance benchmarks show 3-5x faster file processing compared to Electron-based alternatives due to lean WebAssembly execution. Chrome-specific optimizations allow utilization of cutting-edge APIs like File Handling and Origin Private File System before cross-browser standardization.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  1. How does Conduit ensure my files never leave the computer? All processing occurs within browser-isolated storage using the File System Access API, with network requests disabled except for initial WebAssembly module loading. Users can verify data containment through browser developer tools monitoring network activity and storage partitions.

  2. Why is Chrome browser required for operation? Conduit utilizes Chrome-specific implementations of the File System Access API and WebAssembly SIMD extensions for performance-critical operations. Experimental support for other Chromium-based browsers exists, but Google Chrome provides guaranteed API stability and security updates for file system interactions.

  3. Can I use Conduit completely offline after initial setup? The web application requires initial online loading of WebAssembly modules (≤5MB), after which all functionality works offline through service workers caching core assets. File operations persist across browser sessions via the Origin Private File System with manual export/import controls.

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Conduit - Organize & edit local files with AI from your browser | ProductCool