Show HN: CUA-S1 – A System One Model for Computer Use
CUA-S1 is a System One Model for Computer Use, providing AI agents with computers they can utilize. Developed by Cua AI, Inc. and released under an MIT license, Cua offers open-source desktop automation, isolated cloud desktops, and local macOS VMs. It also includes specialist decision models and benchmarks for evaluating computer-use agents, as detailed on its GitHub page.
Time & source
Times shown in UTC
Display time zone: UTC
Local time zone unavailable; showing UTC.
PublishedOffset at this time: UTC+0Sep 19, 2026, 15:52 UTC
IngestedOffset at this time: UTC+0Sep 19, 2026, 20:00 UTC
- Published
- Sep 19, 2026, 15:52
- Ingested
- Sep 19, 2026, 20:00
- Source type
- Dev community
- Tier
- Community
- Source status
- Healthy
Tier is a per-source editorial setting, not a per-item score.
Give AI agents computers they can use. Cua provides open-source desktop automation, isolated cloud desktops, local macOS VMs, specialist decision models, and benchmarks for evaluating computer-use agents.
Try Cua Fleets now at run.cua.ai
Choose your path
- Cua Fleets: Provision a Linux desktop, run a command, and save a screenshot .
- CUA-S1: Explore small, specialized models for computer-use decisions .
- Cua Driver: Operate Calculator and verify its result .
- Lume: Create a Tahoe VM and connect over SSH .
- Cua Bench: Create and verify a simulated task .
Bring your own agent and model, or explore CUA-S1 for specialized decisions. Cua provides the computer and automation tools. Computer-Use 2.0 describes an agent moving between code, APIs, and graphical interfaces within the same task.
See Cua Driver in action
Two Cua Driver sessions select cells in LibreOffice Calc and objects in Inkscape on an Omarchy desktop while a terminal stays in the foreground. Watch the 50-second demo, then explore Omarchy on Fleet .
recording.mp4
Provision isolated cloud desktops at run.cua.ai . A Fleet maintains sandbox capacity; your code claims a desktop from a pool and uses the Sandbox SDK to run commands, capture screenshots, and interact with apps inside it.
Your first result: provision a Linux desktop, run uname -a, save a screenshot, and delete the cloud resources. The tutorial covers Fleet credentials, dependencies, and cleanup. Pools can retain paid capacity after a claim ends, so follow its cleanup steps.
Local sandboxes and Fleets share the Sandbox SDK, but credentials, images, operations, and runtime requirements differ. Use the runtime support reference to choose an environment. For your own hardware, see Manage local sandbox lifecycle .
Your first Cloud Fleet | Fleet overview | Sandbox SDK reference
Cua Driver
Give your agent tools to inspect and operate native desktop apps and browsers on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Connect through the CLI, MCP, or typed SDKs. Background delivery lets agents work without moving your pointer or taking focus when the app and platform support it; see platform support for the boundaries.
macOS / Linux
/bin/bash -c " $( curl -fsSL https://cua.ai/driver/install.sh ) "
Windows (PowerShell)
irm https: // cua.ai / driver / install.ps1 | iex
Your first result: connect your agent, ask it to compute 6 × 7 in Calculator, and have it verify that the app displays 42. The tutorial covers platform setup, permissions, and agent connection.
Drive your first app | Installation | CLI Reference