AI Workstations: Watch, Take Over and Hand Back

Every AI member can have a computer of its own, an AI workstation: a Linux computer that runs in your organization's own space, like the hosted computers your people use. It signs itself in, so the AI never needs a password. The AI member uses it for the work that has no other way in, such as a website form or a supplier's portal, and its supervisor can watch it or take the controls at any time.

How it gets one

The AI workstation is one of the steps of hiring: AI workstation on the hiring checklist. If your hosting space is full when the AI member is hired, the step waits, and the workstation is set up as soon as there is room. Until then, its workstation card says it has no computer yet.

What is installed on it comes from the Workstation section of the AI member's charter: apps, browser extensions and bookmarks. See The AI Charter Explained. Whether it may use the computer, browse the web or install software without asking is set in the charter's Approvals section, like any other action.

Where to find it

• On the AI member's profile: the AI room, Workstation card. It shows what is On screen (or Nothing is open), when it was Last active, and whether it is asleep.
• Under Settings → Hosted Computers → Computers, with your other computers, marked AI workstation.

Like any hosted computer, it goes to sleep when nothing is using it, and remembers exactly what was open. It wakes when the AI member needs it, or when you watch.

Before you start

You need Supervise AI Members and to be the AI member's supervisor, or Manage AI Workforce as well. Each watch, take-over and hand-back is recorded in your organization's access log.

Watch

Click Watch to see the AI member's screen as it works. You cannot type or click; the AI member carries on undisturbed. Close the window when you are done.

Take over

1. Click Take over.
2. Confirm. The AI member is paused while you are in control, and whatever it was doing on the computer stops.
3. Use the computer yourself: fix what went wrong, finish a step it could not, or show it the way.

While you are in control, the card says You are in control; anyone else sees Taken over by your name.

Hand back

When you are done, click Hand back. Your session ends and the AI member carries on, from its records, with the computer as you left it.

If the AI member was already paused before you took over, handing back leaves it paused: the card says so, and you resume it from its Controls when you're ready.

Taking over pauses the AI member until somebody hands back. Closing the window does not hand back, so if you close it by mistake, open the card again and click Hand back.

If it doesn't work

Watch and Take over are greyed out. The computer is busy, for example being set up or resized, and comes back by itself.

There's no Watch or Take over at all. The AI member is retired, or its computer was switched off or is being removed.

"Waiting for room". The hosting space has no room to start it right now. Room frees up as other computers go to sleep, usually within the hour; Settings → Hosted Computers → Capacity shows why.