Video summary

This Free AI Agent Called Hermes Just Hit #1 in the World

Main summary

Key takeaways

Technology

Anthropic model update & safe release

  • Anthropic previously locked away a dangerous model (“Mythos”) and then released a safer version as Claude Fable 5.
  • The video author tests Claude Fable 5 inside an agent workflow.

Hermes agent overview (open source, adaptive, multi-tool)

  • Hermes is an open-source agent built by Nous Research.
  • It’s described as learning from experience:
    • building skills over time,
    • remembering past conversations,
    • improving task performance the more it’s used.
  • Hermes can integrate with common tools/channels, including:
    • Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, email, and web browsing
  • This enables cross-app work from a single agent.

Key differentiator: runs continuously in the background

  • Unlike many AI tools that require an app to be open, Hermes can run on a cloud server and stay active even if your laptop is shut down.
  • It uses a Virtual Private Server (VPS) approach:
    • you rent an always-on “computer instance” over the internet
    • Hermes runs 24/7 on that instance.

“Hermes Workspace” product feature (web dashboard vs terminal)

  • The interface is presented as Hermes Workspace, an updated, web-based “command center.”
  • Key points:
    • Replaces a terminal-based setup with a web dashboard
    • Lets users monitor tasks, manage sessions, and track usage/costs
  • Hermes popularity is referenced via OpenRouter token rankings, treated like a live leaderboard.
  • The workspace highlights include:
    • Session/token/API/cost tracking
    • File storage
    • Embedded terminal
    • Jobs (scheduled tasks, e.g., run every day at a set time)
    • Kanban task organization (e.g., running/review columns)
    • Conductor for launching multi-agent “missions”
    • Operations/Swarm for creating and chatting with multiple agents
    • Memory/Skills hub (demo mentions ~82 skills preinstalled)
    • Dark/light mode toggle

Two main ways to run Hermes

1) Managed VPS via Hostinger + one-click Docker deployment (recommended)

Hostinger is used with a Docker manager and a catalog entry for “Hermes Workspace.”

Setup flow (as described):

  • Choose a plan (KVM 2 recommended) and a server region (example: Mumbai for low latency)
  • Deploy, open the workspace, and set the workspace password
  • Provide an API key (example: OpenRouter) and choose a model
  • Send a test message to confirm back-end connectivity

2) Local setup on a Mac or via a new desktop app

Mac approach (“mostly copy/paste”):

  • Use a setup command from the Hermes workspace setup page inside a coding tool project (example workflow with Codex/Cloud Code)
  • Connect the OpenRouter key
  • Test by messaging the agent

New desktop app (Mac/Windows/Linux):

  • Choose provider/model in settings (example mentioned: Opus)
  • Connect tools via MCPs
  • Pick an agent personality
  • Add skills from a skills hub with 88,000+ community skills
  • Mentions partnership with X to search X posts via the agent
  • Paid plans exist, but they won’t run 24/7 on their own (contrast with hosting on Hostinger)

Tutorial-style: connecting Hermes to messaging apps (Telegram)

A demonstration shows integrating Hermes with Telegram:

  • Create a bot using BotFather
  • Retrieve the Telegram API token and user ID
  • Confirm with approvals before making changes
  • Result: the agent becomes active in Telegram and responds as expected (example reply included)

Use cases / workflows showcased

1) Personal “trend radar” (scheduled research)

  • Scheduled job runs every morning at 7:00am
  • Scans Reddit, X, and AI forums
  • Finds workflows gaining velocity over the last 24 hours
  • Produces a ranked list of five content angles

2) Build a multi-agent “team” for a YouTube channel

  • Input: a YouTube channel link + request to create a workflow
  • Output: 7-agent structure:
    • Scout (trend monitoring)
    • Ideator (video titles/angles in creator’s voice)
    • Scribe (scripts in creator style)
    • Clipper (viral short clips)
    • Sentinel (analytics/comments)
    • Promoter (publishes across platforms)
    • Maestro (manager scheduling/coordination)
  • Mentions customizing by adding your own agents/templates.

3) Goal-driven app building inside Telegram

  • Request example: “build me a timer app for focused work”
  • Uses an agent template (“Honey” as builder)
  • Produces a live deployed web app with:
    • Pomodoro timer
    • task list
    • stats + streaks
    • ambient sound options
  • Provides a live link to the generated app.

4) Business pitch deck + target client guidance (lead-oriented)

  • Generates:
    • a 14-slide presentation deck (including ROI math in rupees)
    • a PDF download for immediate sharing
    • guidance on the top five high-paying client types/targets
  • Includes clarifying questions first (e.g., market, delivery model, visual style).

5) “One-person company” blueprint + live agent example

  • Hermes suggests what a founder can build across departments:
    • product/engineering, growth/marketing, sales, support, operations/finance, research/strategy
  • Example agent: Lead triage agent
    • scores incoming leads,
    • drafts replies in the user’s voice,
    • pings via Telegram about every ~15 minutes for hot leads.

6) High-conversion outreach: scrape + build + contact package (major example)

  • Scenario: a website agency wants a dentist lead (example location: Bangalore HSR)
  • A single instruction triggers parallel sub-agents to:
    • find a popular clinic with many reviews/high rating
    • determine addresses/contact info (email/phone)
    • build a professional minimal high-conversion website using real details
    • write outreach email + a shorter WhatsApp message
    • package everything into a PDF
    • send outputs to Telegram, including:
      • live website link
      • contact details

7) Claude Fable 5: single-prompt generation of a complete interactive web app

  • Prompt example: build a single-file HTML web app (“Dream Trip Builder” wizard)
  • Steps included:
    • passport selection
    • budget, trip length, travel month
    • destination selection with live map + visa situation details
    • travel style (backpacking/comfort/luxury) with average daily pricing
    • itinerary summary review
  • Described behavior:
    • code generation + constraint verification
    • fixing visual map label overlap
    • re-verification and deployment
  • Demo shows interactive pages with:
    • route drawn on a map
    • per-city daily costs, comfort level, visa situation
    • budget breakdown + itinerary summary

Main speakers / sources

  • Primary speaker: The YouTube video narrator/host (Vaibhav, referenced in subtitles)
  • Mentioned external sources/tools:
    • Nous Research (Hermes creator)
    • Anthropic (Claude Fable 5 origin)
    • Hostinger (VPS/Docker deployment)
    • OpenRouter (API/model provider)
    • Telegram BotFather (bot creation)
    • X (integration/search)

Original video