Block Releases Berd, an AI Agent Unified Desktop Application, as Open Source

Block, a technology company operating payment services such as Square and Cash App, has released Berd, an AI agent unified desktop application developed for internal use, as open source. It is available on GitHub under the Apache 2.0 license, allowing free use, modification, and redistribution including commercial use. Pre-built files are distributed free of charge for three platforms: macOS, Windows, and Linux.

The genesis of Berd stems from practical challenges in AI adoption within Block. As multiple AI agents—Block's own "Goose", Anthropic's Claude Code, and OpenAI's Codex—became widely used across the company, employees found themselves juggling disparate interfaces and configuration methods, requiring them to repeatedly reorganize work context. Lucinda Bell, Block's technology communications lead, described the situation as having to "operate different interfaces, configuration systems, and context management methods separately." Berd was developed as a solution to consolidate everything into a single desktop environment.

Rather than a browser-based tool, Berd takes the form of a locally installed desktop application. According to Brad Axen, head of Block's AI Capabilities division, the ability to directly integrate with projects, local files, repositories, and locally-run agents is why the team prioritized a desktop approach. Within the application, users can perform a series of operations in one place: starting chats, attaching files or folders, selecting agents and AI models, configuring providers, managing skills and extensions, reviewing session history, and building automations. Conversation history is stored locally by design.

Another key design feature is operational transparency. According to Berd's product specifications, the system emphasizes keeping users constantly aware of "which project, file, agent, model, provider, and session state currently affect the conversation." Errors, unavailable providers, and loading states are displayed explicitly rather than obscurely. This represents a departure from typical chatbot-style UI design.

As of August 18, 2025, the GitHub repository has reached version 0.6.2, marking the seventh public release. The project has 91 contributors. Block designed Berd for use across diverse roles beyond engineering, employing a UI design that allows users to start with conversation and progressively add tools, context, and structure.

As AI agent adoption expands, the challenge of maintaining a consistent working environment for "how to continue using AI" alongside individual model performance is becoming critical. Tools like Berd represent a practical option for enterprises and developers seeking to maintain coherent workflows while spanning multiple AI services. By releasing it as open source, improvements are likely to extend beyond Block's internal use cases into the broader community.