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Inviting another person into a conversation is usually straightforward. You send them a link, and they join. But try inviting your preferred AI assistant into that same conversation, and things become more complicated.
We increasingly work with artificial intelligence to develop ideas, conduct research and solve problems. Yet much of that intelligence remains tied to the platforms where we use it, along with the knowledge and context we’ve accumulated.
I believe that will change. Bring Your Own Intelligence (BYOI) could eventually become a normal expectation of digital life.
The transition has already begun
In August 2026, Slack announced Add to Slack, allowing external AI agents from selected partners to join workplace conversations. Microsoft is also offering users a choice of AI models within parts of Copilot.
These are encouraging developments, but choosing from a platform’s approved selection isn’t quite the same as bringing any intelligence you prefer.
Microsoft identified a related trend in its 2024 Work Trend Index, reporting that 78% of AI users were bringing their own AI tools to work, often without formal approval.
What interests me is the next stage, where platforms actively welcome the intelligence people have already chosen. Software companies could eventually compete as much on how well they accommodate their customers’ intelligence as on the intelligence they provide themselves.
Intelligence should travel with you
For me, BYOI goes beyond choosing an AI model. It means being able to carry your accumulated knowledge, research history and preferences between different digital environments, with your permission.
Your preferred AI could join a conversation, help you navigate a website or collaborate on a project. It could be hosted by a commercial provider or running locally on your own computer.
Why should your accumulated intelligence become less useful simply because you’ve opened another application?
Everyone welcome, within reason
There’s a meaningful difference between an automated crawler harvesting a website’s content and a customer inviting their personal AI assistant to help complete a task.
Yet platforms have legitimate concerns. Who pays for computing resources? How is private information protected? Who is accountable when an AI makes a mistake?
These questions require clear agreements and sensible safeguards. Users could pay for their own AI usage, while platforms establish permissions, security boundaries and rules governing responsibility.
People should control which intelligence they bring, what information they share and how much they’re prepared to spend.
Intelligence together strong
One AI model could investigate an idea, another could challenge its assumptions, and a third could suggest a better approach. All could collaborate in the same shared environment alongside human participants.
We would establish the objectives, exercise judgement and remain accountable for our own decisions.
The future isn’t about visiting artificial intelligence. It’s about intelligence accompanying us wherever we go.
Some platforms will resist BYOI because of security concerns, technical limitations or commercial interests. Others will recognise an opportunity to attract customers by giving them more freedom.
I believe the pressure for interoperability will grow as people become accustomed to having their own AI assistants.
Perhaps one day, we’ll barely notice BYOI. It will simply be how software works.
Bring Your Own Intelligence. Everyone welcome.
