13 lessons100% free

My First AI Agent

Set up a state-of-the-art AI agent, free, in thirteen lessons. No code required.

Start from zero and finish with an agent that reads your files, runs real tasks, and answers on your phone. Free models throughout — you pay nothing to complete this course. Privacy note: free cloud models can send your prompts and page context to the provider, so the content leaves your machine.

Start lesson 00

Part I — Working assistant

Words → install → personality → messaging of your choice → first real action on disk.

  1. 00WelcomeWhat you will be able to do, how the course is ordered, and how to work through each lesson.5 min
  2. 01The AI Cheat SheetSpeak the language of agents. First pass = the short “remember” lines; details wait for later lessons.25 min
  3. 02Let’s get readyPick where you’ll run Hermes (your laptop is fine). Sign up for one free AI account — we’ll link the exact page. Copy the long string the site calls an “API key.” Treat it like a password.10 min
  4. 03Install Hermes DesktopInstall on the host you chose in 02. If you’re OK with prompts processed on a remote server, enable the free cloud model now. (Switch to local later.)30 min
  5. 04Soul packGiving Your Agent a Personality: tell it who it is and the rules it must follow.25 min
  6. 05Gateway (your pocket surface)Chat with your agent from an app you already use. We recommend Telegram; you may use Discord, Slack, Signal, WhatsApp, or another Hermes-supported platform.25 min
  7. 06First agencyYour First Real Task: opt out of data brokers, with your permission, and open a receipt on disk.40 min

Part II — Memory and routines

Remember facts, use your notes, set safety rules, run one scheduled job, know what to back up.

  1. 07Making it rememberToday’s chat disappears when you close it. What you want kept has to be written down.20 min
  2. 08Data vaultA folder of your own notes the agent can read and search.20 min
  3. 09SkillsTeaching New Tricks: give your agent abilities it calls on when needed.18 min
  4. 10Security dialsHost isolation, cloud data leaving the box, who may reach tools, and how approvals work.15 min
  5. 11Cron runbooksSet it and forget it: a job that runs on schedule, fresh each time.20 min
  6. 12Own it foreverKeep it alive: back up, update, and level up — without redoing lesson 1.15 min

Go further

Optional drills once the course is done — deeper practice, not new theory.

  1. ＋Harness Labs4 drills: key rotation, failure studio, prompt budget, Kanban.100 min
  2. ＋Printable glossaryEvery term from lesson 01, on one page.
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