The question of where AI agents run used to be a technical detail. In 2026 it decides what an agent can reach. Every major AI vendor now runs its agents in its own cloud by default, with your computer as an optional add-on.
Anthropic made the clearest move. On October 6, new Claude Cowork tasks on Pro and Max plans run in the cloud, and the option to keep them on your computer goes away. We covered what that change means for Claude users on Friday.
The short version: OpenAI, Google, Microsoft and xAI have all gone cloud-first for their agents. Anthropic is the only one we found removing a local-only choice people could pick for themselves. For your organization, the useful question is not which vendor is "cloud." It is what each cloud agent can reach, and when it needs your computer to be on.
This snapshot of where AI agents run is current as of early October 2026. These products change monthly, so check the vendor pages linked below before you decide anything.
Why where AI agents run matters
Where AI agents run sets their reach. An agent running on your computer can see what you can see. That includes your files, your logged-in browser, and systems on your office network or VPN.
An agent running in a vendor’s cloud starts with none of that. It reaches your work through connectors, uploads and its own browser. The upside is that it keeps working with your laptop closed and follows you from desktop to phone.
For a nonprofit or association, this changes practical things. It decides whether a scheduled report can read a spreadsheet on someone’s desktop. It decides whether an agent can use a member database behind the office VPN. It also decides where copies of your files end up.
We looked at the risks of the other side in our piece on local AI agent security. This post is about the move away from local.
The comparison at a glance
| Agent | Default | Local option | Local reach needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude (Cowork) | Cloud | Removed for new tasks, Oct 6 (Pro, Max) | Desktop app open |
| ChatGPT Work | Cloud on web and mobile | Yes, in the desktop app | Desktop app, with permission |
| Gemini Spark | Google’s cloud | Mac app, connected folders | Gemini app running on the Mac |
| Microsoft Copilot Studio | Your choice of three | Yes, bring your own machine | A registered Windows machine |
| Grok Bot | Persistent cloud computer | Opt-in, per approval | Desktop app, local policy |
The pattern in where AI agents run is consistent. The cloud is the default everywhere. Reaching your own machine always needs an app running on it.
Claude: cloud by default, local-only removed
Anthropic’s Cowork help article says new tasks on Pro and Max run in the cloud from October 6. The "Only on your computer" setting is removed, and scheduled tasks move to the cloud too.
Local files, browser use, computer use and local connectors still work. They work only while the Claude desktop app is open, and local files only for sessions started on the desktop.
For work that must stay on your computer, Anthropic points to Claude Code in the desktop app. Cowork projects and scheduled tasks do not carry over to it.
ChatGPT Work: cloud and local side by side
OpenAI’s ChatGPT Work help article says Work on web and mobile runs in the cloud. In the desktop app, Work can also use local files and desktop apps with your permission.
That makes OpenAI the closest to Anthropic’s old setup. Local work is still an option, and OpenAI’s admin materials treat cloud and local Work as separate settings.
One detail is worth noting. OpenAI says messages and task context may be stored in the cloud even when work runs locally. "Local" does not mean nothing leaves your machine.
The move toward the desktop app started in July, when OpenAI retired the Atlas browser and folded its agent work into ChatGPT. Our overview of ChatGPT Work covers the product itself.
Gemini Spark: Google’s cloud, with a Mac app for local files
Google announced Gemini Spark at I/O in May. Google’s I/O post describes it running on dedicated virtual machines in Google Cloud, around the clock.
Local access comes through the Gemini app on Mac. Google’s Spark help page says Gemini can only see folders you add to Connected folders. The Gemini app must be set up and running on the Mac.
That is close to Anthropic’s new model: cloud agent, local files through an app you keep open. We first covered the product in our Gemini Spark explainer.
Google’s developer tools are a separate story. Antigravity works in your local folders, which is a different setup from the consumer agent.
Microsoft Copilot: you pick where it runs
Microsoft gives admins the most explicit choice. Its Copilot Studio documentation lists three places computer use can run.
- Hosted browser (preview): Microsoft-managed. It is not joined to your organization’s directory and cannot reach enterprise resources. Microsoft does not recommend it for production.
- Cloud PC pool (preview): managed Cloud PCs that can reach your Microsoft 365, SharePoint and Azure resources.
- Bring your own machine: Windows computers you own and manage. This is the option that reaches any site or desktop app those machines can reach.
For an organization with an on-premises member database or an old desktop app, only the last option gets there. That is the clearest example of why where AI agents run matters.
Grok Bot: a cloud computer, with local access by approval
xAI’s Grok Bot documentation says it works from a persistent cloud computer. It uses a browser, command line, files and connected tools without depending on your laptop staying open.
Browser cookies and signed-in sessions on that cloud computer are shared across all Bots on an account. Local commands run only when you enable the capability and approve them under a local-computer policy.
That is the most cautious default of the five on local access. It is also the one where the cloud machine holds the most of your logins. We looked at xAI’s latest model in our Grok 4.7 post.
What to ask before you pick where AI agents run
For agencies and IT leads at nonprofits, associations and schools, five questions settle where AI agents run best for you.
- Where do the files live? If the source data sits on a staff laptop, a cloud agent needs that laptop on and the app open.
- Does the task need your logged-in browser? Cloud browsers do not have your sessions unless you sign in there.
- Is anything behind a VPN or on-premises? Only an agent running on a machine inside that network can reach it.
- Does it need to run while nobody is at a desk? Scheduled work favors the cloud.
- Where do copies end up? Read each vendor’s page on what it stores, and for how long.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do AI agents run in 2026?
AI agents run mostly in the vendor’s cloud. Claude, ChatGPT Work on web and mobile, Gemini Spark, Microsoft Copilot’s hosted options and Grok Bot all run on the vendor’s servers by default. Local access is added through a desktop app.
Which AI agent still lets me run tasks on my own computer?
ChatGPT Work in the desktop app can use local files and apps with your permission. Microsoft Copilot Studio can run computer use on your own Windows machines. Claude points to Claude Code for local work after October 6.
What changes for Claude on October 6?
New Cowork tasks on Pro and Max plans run in the cloud, and the “Only on your computer” option is removed. Local files, browser use and computer use still work while the desktop app is open.
Does “local” mode mean nothing leaves my computer?
Not always. OpenAI says messages and task context may be stored in the cloud even when ChatGPT Work runs locally. Check each vendor’s documentation for what it stores.
Can a cloud agent reach files on my laptop?
Only through the vendor’s app running on that laptop. Claude, Gemini Spark and Grok Bot all need their desktop app for local access, and usually your permission for each folder or action.
Can a cloud agent reach systems behind our VPN?
Generally no. Microsoft’s hosted browser cannot reach enterprise resources. Its bring-your-own-machine option can, because the agent runs on a computer inside your network.
Why are vendors moving agents to the cloud?
Anthropic, for one, points to work that keeps going with your laptop closed, schedules that run with no device online, and sessions that follow you across devices. Those benefits come with less direct reach into your own machine.
Which option is best for a nonprofit or association?
It depends on where your data lives, more than on where AI agents run by default. Cloud agents suit work built on connected apps like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Work on local files or on-premises systems needs a machine that stays on with the agent’s app running.
