# Hermes Desktop lets users build custom bots like OpenAI’s dots

Digest AI · Agents & Tools · published 2026-10-20T05:40:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/hermes-desktop-lets-users-build-custom-bots-like-openais-dots

## Summary

OpenAI introduced the "dots" AI agent in September 2026, a cloud‑based assistant that can work autonomously without repeated prompts. Hermes Desktop offers a similar "Bot" feature that lets users define dedicated AI agents with specific roles and behaviors. The article walks through creating a "Kindle Reminder" bot, showing how to add a new bot in the Hermes Desktop UI, configure basic and advanced settings, and write a SOUL.md file that defines the bot’s purpose, data sources, and response format.

The tutorial explains required Docker configuration, permission handling for file access, and how to set up cron jobs for automatic daily execution. It also notes practical limits: Hermes bots run only while the host computer is on, unlike dots which continue in the cloud, and users must manage schedules and notifications themselves. The guide ends with tips for testing the bot and troubleshooting cron failures, encouraging readers to experiment with other use cases such as research, writing, or note organization.

## Key points

- OpenAI announced the "dots" AI agent in September 2026, a continuously running cloud service.
- Hermes Desktop’s Bot feature lets users create dedicated AI agents with custom roles and settings.
- The tutorial details configuring a "Kindle Reminder" bot, including SOUL.md role definition and Docker setup.

## Why it matters

Shows how users can build self‑hosted AI assistants, reducing reliance on cloud services and expanding personal automation possibilities.

## Sources

1. [Create a Dedicated AI Similar to OpenAI's 'dots' | How to Create Your Own Bot with Hermes Desktop Windows Version](https://note.com/hyp_hisui/n/n5de5f46a2033?hl=en) (note.com, 2026-10-20)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Hermes Desktop lets users build custom bots like OpenAI’s dots", 20 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/hermes-desktop-lets-users-build-custom-bots-like-openais-dots

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