PAI is an operating layer for Claude Code. From the first day it gives every session a memory: notes written in the background, searchable across sessions, projects and vaults, all stored locally. pai starts or resumes a Claude Code session in the current project, and pai pause and pai end save your place.

It can also hand work to cheaper background Claude Code runs (workers) on other providers or a local model, with a router and a cockpit page that show what the models and your token budget are doing. You do not need this to start. Terms are explained in the glossary.

The PAI router cockpit: limits per cloud provider, the local model server, and the routing table with one line per delegation tier

The router cockpit (http://127.0.0.1:8790/cockpit). See the cockpit page.

Install

Prerequisites: Claude Code and Node.js 20 or newer. Docker is only needed for the optional PostgreSQL storage (semantic search); the default sqlite needs nothing.

Inside Claude Code, add this repository as a plugin marketplace and install the pai plugin:

/plugin marketplace add mnott/PAI
/plugin install pai@pai

Then say "set up PAI". /plugin lists pai once it is installed. The skill checks each phase first and does only what is missing, and ends with a pass/fail list of its checks.

Without the plugin, from a clone, or for a one-session plugin load: docs/install/index.md. Memory works as soon as setup is done; workers are optional (First workers).

Where to go next

Install

Install · First workers

Concepts

Workers · delegation tiers · panes · providers, and the rest in docs/README.md.

Cockpit

The cockpit page: sections, aliases, layout.

Reference

Configuration · Config defaults · Commands (generated from the CLI: pai help, pai more, pai help <command>)

The full index, including memory, search and developer docs, is docs/README.md.

Daily use

pai                 # picker: newest sessions first, type to filter, Enter opens
pai NAME            # open a session by name
pai ls              # the same list as a plain table
pai more            # every other command, grouped
pai help <command>  # full help for one command

pai pause saves your place before you leave a session and pai end finishes it.