On October 8, Tencent's WorkBuddy officially launched a standalone file browser, moving the AI entry point from the dialog box to local files themselves.
Users can find files such as Word, Excel, PPT, PDF, Markdown, and HTML on their computer, right-click and select WorkBuddy under 'Open with' to enter a standalone window for viewing and editing, or set it as the default opening method and enter directly with a double-click; it is available after updating WorkBuddy, with no separate download required. The left side of the window shows the current file and the right side shows the Buddy conversation, with support for switching between multiple file tabs, and each file corresponds to its own conversation context.
In terms of features, the standalone window fully retains the 'human-AI co-writing' capability. For files that support editing, users can modify them directly or select paragraphs for Buddy to rewrite, polish, or supplement, with changes marked in yellow blocks in the original text. For Word, Excel, and PPT, changes are written directly back to the local file upon saving; Markdown saves automatically, and HTML saves automatically when exiting the editing state; if there is unsaved content, closing the window will prompt a reminder first.
If the same file is modified in another application, WorkBuddy will not automatically overwrite it, but instead prompts the user to refresh to the latest version or save a copy. Newly generated files are saved by default in the original file's directory, can be opened directly in a new tab, or shared and uploaded to the library for collaboration with Tencent Docs.
Markdown and HTML are also integrated into the WeChat scenario: when these two types of files are received in WeChat, they can be previewed and forwarded directly via the WorkBuddy mini program, or added to a conversation for Buddy to summarize or rewrite, and the preview itself does not consume credits.
According to official explanations, viewing and editing local files does not consume credits, and billing by task applies only when AI capabilities are invoked; the standalone file browser only reads files that users actively open or add, and does not traverse the computer's disks. This continues WorkBuddy's approach of pushing AI into real workflows around the vision of 'Office for the AI era'.