Advisor
The agent talks. It cannot touch anything. All logic stays on the provider's servers.
Shielded Access
User → UI → Tool → Hidden Logic
AAL 1 is conversation only. The agent processes your input and returns a response. It has no access to your files, your code, your system, or your data. What you type is what it sees. Nothing more.
What This Level Is
Advisor mode is classic SaaS AI. You interact through a browser or app interface. The agent lives entirely on the provider's infrastructure - it cannot reach out to your local environment in any way. Every output requires you to manually take action.
Tools at This Level
- ChatGPT - OpenAI's chat interface
- Claude.ai - Anthropic's conversational assistant
- Gemini Chat - Google's AI assistant (chat interface; Gemini CLI is AAL3)
- Grok - xAI's AI assistant
- DeepSeek Chat - DeepSeek's chat interface (same model accessed via Cline = AAL3)
- Minimax Chat - Minimax AI chat interface (same model via OpenRouter in a CLI agent = AAL3)
- z.ai - Zhipu AI's chat interface (GLM models)
- Perplexity - AI-powered search and Q&A
What You Can Do
- Ask questions and get detailed explanations
- Generate text, drafts, and outlines
- Request code snippets to copy and use manually
- Brainstorm ideas and get structured feedback
- Learn concepts through conversation
What You Cannot Do
- Give the agent access to your files or codebase
- Run any commands or execute code automatically
- Automate actions - everything requires manual effort
- Persist context between sessions without manual re-entry
Risks at AAL 1
- Data leakage: What you paste into chat may be used for model training - check provider policies before sharing sensitive information
- Over-reliance: Trusting generated output without verifying it against your actual codebase or data
- Stagnation: Staying at AAL 1 when your work has outgrown what conversation can accomplish
When to Move Up
If you are spending significant time manually copying code between chat and your editor, or if you need the agent to understand your actual project structure, it is time to look at AAL 2: Bot or AAL 3: Collaborator. But first check that your APL matches - moving to AAL 3 without APL 3 is a structural risk.