Bot
The agent acts on your behalf through interfaces. It clicks, navigates, and fills forms - but cannot touch your files.
UI Access
User → Agent → UI / Tool
AAL 2 is UI-level access. The agent operates interfaces on your behalf - browser actions, SaaS interactions, form submissions. It works through the same surfaces you do. It cannot read or write your local files.
What This Level Is
Bot mode means the agent can take actions in the world - but only through UI layers. It navigates browsers, fills forms, triggers workflows in SaaS tools. This is meaningfully more powerful than conversation alone, but it is still bounded by what the UI exposes. The agent does not have direct access to your data or file system.
Tools at This Level
- Zapier / Make / n8n - Workflow automation connecting SaaS tools
- Browser agents - AI that navigates and interacts with web pages
- Computer Use - Claude and others controlling desktop UIs
- RPA tools - Robotic process automation via UI scripting
What You Can Do
- Automate repetitive browser and app interactions
- Trigger workflows across connected SaaS tools
- Fill forms, submit data, and navigate pages autonomously
- Build multi-step automations without writing code
What You Cannot Do
- Read or write local files directly
- Access your codebase or run terminal commands
- Take actions outside the UI surface the agent can see
- Modify system state below the application layer
Risks at AAL 2
- Hard-to-undo actions: Submitted forms, sent messages, and triggered workflows may not be reversible
- Scope creep: UI agents can navigate to areas you did not intend - define explicit boundaries
- Third-party permissions: Connecting SaaS accounts grants the automation tool standing access - review what you are authorising
- Visibility gaps: Actions happen fast and may not be logged in a way you can easily audit
When to Move Up
If you need the agent to read or write files, modify code, or run commands on your system, UI access is not enough. That is AAL 3: Collaborator - the inflection point. Before you move there, make sure your APL matches your AAL.