Tired of juggling multiple apps and manual workflows? Meet Hugging Face UFO - Microsoft's groundbreaking AI Agent OS that turns your Windows desktop into a supercharged automation powerhouse. Imagine telling your computer, "Generate a monthly sales report from Excel, format it in PowerPoint, and email it to the team," and watching it execute flawlessly. With UFO's cutting-edge multi-agent architecture and deep Windows integration, complex tasks become effortless. This guide reveals how to unlock its full potential, from basic setup to advanced automation hacks.
?? Core Features of UFO AI Agent OS
Dual-Agent Architecture for Smarter Automation
UFO's HostAgent acts as your digital project manager, parsing natural language commands and splitting tasks into bite-sized steps. Meanwhile, AppAgents specialize in individual apps like Excel or Outlook, using a mix of Windows APIs and visual recognition to interact with UI elements. This synergy enables seamless cross-app workflows, such as importing data from a PDF into an Access database while auto-formatting charts in Excel .Hybrid Execution Model
Say goodbye to fragile screen-scraping bots! UFO intelligently chooses between:
? Native API calls (fastest/ most reliable)
? GUI automation (fallback for custom UIs)
For example, exporting Excel charts might use Workbook.ExportAsFixedFormat() via API, but fall back to mouse clicks if the method changes. This hybrid approach reduces execution errors by 65% compared to traditional RPA tools .
Picture-in-Picture (PiP) Mode
Automate sensitive tasks without disrupting your workflow. UFO runs automation in a sandboxed virtual desktop, isolated from your main workspace. Watch progress updates via a floating panel while continuing to work - no interruptions!
??? Step-by-Step: Automate Your First Task
Step 1: Install & Configure
powershell Copy # Clone repository (requires Git) git clone https://github.com/microsoft/UFO.git cd UFO # Install dependencies (Python 3.10+) pip install -r requirements.txt # Configure LLM (OpenAI example) # Edit ufo/config/config.yaml: API_TYPE: "openai" API_KEY: "sk-your-key-here" API_MODEL: "gpt-4-vision-preview"
Pro Tip: Use Azure Cognitive Services for enterprise-grade security .
Step 2: Create Your First Agent
Create sales_report_agent.yaml:
yaml Copy name: SalesReportGenerator description: "Generates PDF reports from Excel data" required_apps: [Excel, PowerPoint] steps: - action: excel.LoadWorkbook(path="data/sales.xlsx") - action: excel.ExecuteMacro(macro_name="FormatData") - action: ppt.CreatePresentation(template="template.pptx") - action: ppt.InsertSlide(content=excel.GetChartData())
Step 3: Train with Examples
Improve accuracy with sample interactions:
python Copy ufo.train(
prompt="Create Q2 sales report",
demo=[
{"action": "excel.Open", "args": {"file": "data/q2.xlsx"}},
{"action": "ppt.GenerateSlide", "args": {"type": "bar_chart"}}
]
)Step 4: Run in PiP Mode
Execute tasks without desktop interference:
powershell Copy python -m ufo --pip_mode --task SalesReportGenerator
A floating window will display real-time logs and progress bars.
Step 5: Monitor & Optimize
Use the built-in dashboard to:
? Track task success rates
? Identify UI element changes
? Retrain agents with new data
powershell Copy ufo dashboard --view=analytics
?? Pro Tips for Power Users
1. Master Context Switching
Chain tasks using natural language:
"After generating the report, upload it to SharePoint and notify the team via Teams"
UFO automatically maps these steps to app-specific actions.
2. Handle Non-Standard UIs
For custom apps:
Take a screenshot of the target element
Annotate with bounding boxes
Train UFO's OmniParser model
python Copy Copyufo.add_custom_element( name="InvoiceTable", screenshot="invoice.png", region=(100,200,800,500) )
3. Optimize API Costs
Cache frequent responses:
yaml Copy cache: enabled: true ttl: 3600 # 1 hour max_size: 1000
? FAQ: Common UFO Challenges
Q: Does UFO work with legacy Windows apps?
A: Yes! The hybrid detection system identifies legacy controls via UIA + visual analysis .
Q: How to secure sensitive data?
A: Enable Azure Key Vault integration for encrypted credentials:
yaml Copy security: vault: "azure" key: "ufo-automation-secrets"
Q: Can I share agents with my team?
A: Export agents as Docker containers:
powershell Copy ufo export-agent SalesAgent --docker