setup

requires macOS 13+, Git, Swift 5.9+, Python 3.11+, and a signed-in Codex CLI

xcode-select --install

git --version

swift --version

python3 --version

install kai

git clone https://github.com/v1shay/kai.git
cd kai

codex login
codex login status
codex app-server --help

./scripts/build-app.sh
open .build/debug/Kai.app

look for the 海 icon in the menu bar

• Command to dictate into your last chat
• Fn to dictate into a new chat
• Control + Option to open projects / chats

kai uses your existing local Codex login and requires no separate account, API key, or Python packages

permissions

for dictation, allow Microphone and Speech Recognition

if global shortcuts dont work: enable Kai under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility and Input Monitoring, then reopen

agent CLI

kai_cli.py provides a scriptable non-curses interface for automated agent workflows

python3 kai_cli.py --cwd /path/to/project \
  -c '/projects /path/to/project' \
  -c '/chats' \
  --format json

troubleshooting

run tests with

python3 -m unittest -v test_kai.py