The contextual companion.
The Coworker sits between the Human Workbench and the Twin Workbench. It is not another authority. It is the contextual companion that understands what the user is currently doing and helps the Twin obtain the right context.
HUMAN
│
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HUMAN WORKBENCH
│
interaction
│
▼
COWORKER
│
context gathering
active-screen awareness
retrieval
communication support
context alignment
│
▼
TWIN
│
reasoning/work
│
▼
AGENTS
What the Coworker Does
| Behavior | Description |
|---|
| Observes | Watches active work without interfering |
| Gathers | Collects relevant context from the Spine |
| Retrieves | Pulls information on demand |
| Supports | Assists with communication between humans and the Twin |
| Aligns | Ensures everyone has the same understanding |
Coworker Focus Areas
| Area | Description |
|---|
| Active Work Context | What's happening right now on the user's screen |
| Relevant Information | Data that matters to the current work |
| Communication Support | Helping messages get to the right people |
| Context Alignment | Ensuring Twin has the right context for reasoning |
Coworker vs. Twin
| Aspect | Coworker | Twin |
|---|
| Role | Contextual companion | AI work partner |
| Scope | Context gathering and support | Full reasoning and execution |
| Activation | Continuous observation | Explicit (Four Buttons) or pipeline-triggered |
| Autonomy | Supports, doesn't propose | Proposes, waits for approval |
| Depth | Lightweight context surfacing | Deep analysis and planning |
| Authority | None — just context | Work allocation and delegation |
| Memory | Ephemeral, session-scoped | Persistent, role-scoped |
How the Coworker Works
- Observe — Coworker monitors what the user is doing
- Detect — Coworker identifies context requirements
- Gather — Coworker retrieves relevant data from the Spine
- Surface — Coworker makes context available to the Twin
- Support — Coworker assists with communication if needed
Coworker Rules
| Rule | Description |
|---|
| Non-authoritative | Coworker never makes decisions or takes actions |
| Non-intrusive | Coworker observes without disrupting workflow |
| Context-only | Coworker only gathers and surfaces context |
| Privacy-respecting | Coworker respects data access boundaries |
| Transparent | User can see what Coworker is doing |
Coworker Connects to