P1 · The 7 parts in your own words
15 minCopy the table above and fill in each row with a sentence of your own and the folder where the part lives.
Done when: all seven rows are filled in, and none of the sentences were copied from the lesson text.
Lesson 1 · 15 min
The seven parts of a Jarvis
Every agent, from the simplest to the most expensive, has the same seven parts: a door, a heart, an identity, a brain, a memory, hands, and a vault. Knowing these parts helps you choose better, spend less, and avoid getting locked into one product. INTELECTO is our example: small on purpose, so you can read through it.
Start lesson
In this lesson, you will
- 1The path of a message, from Telegram to the model and back
- 2What each of the seven pieces does
- 3Why the loop with a brake sets an agent apart from a chatbot
- 4How contracts let you swap one piece without changing the rest
Goal: explain the path of a message and say what each of the seven parts does and where it lives in INTELECTO.
01Seven pieces, one path
Scroll the page: each step lights up a piece.
Scroll down: each step below lights up its part of the diagram.
- 1/8
Channel
This is where you talk to it. In INTELECTO, that’s Telegram: one token and you’re ready, with no public internet address. The agent checks Telegram for new messages, splits replies longer than 4,000 characters, and shows “typing” while it thinks.
- 2/8
Loop
It receives your message, thinks, uses a tool if needed, checks the result, and thinks again until it replies with text. It has a brake: at most five tool rounds per message. After that, it has to reply.
- 3/8
Identity
Four simple files in the workspace folder: its soul, the rules, your profile, and the initial facts. The agent reads all four with every message. Change the text, change the assistant, without programming.
- 4/8
Brain
The AI model. In the cloud, OpenRouter: one key gives you access to more than a hundred models. On your computer, Ollama: no cost per message and nothing is sent outside your computer.
- 5/8
Memory
It saves what matters in a SQLite database on your machine, with keyword search and no API cost. With each message, it finds what’s relevant and adds it to the context.
- 6/8
Tools
Without tools, it only chats; with them, it gets things done. The core tools: read and write files, list folders, run commands, save to memory, and search memory. Each tool describes itself, and the model reads that description to decide whether to use it.
- 7/8
Vault
API keys encrypted and tied to the machine, a list of blocked commands, a 60-second timeout per command, and an audit log of everything it runs.
- 8/8
The whole path
You write in Telegram. The loop brings together identity and memory, sends them to the model, runs the tool it requests within the vault’s limits, and sends the reply back through the same channel.
The same seven pieces appear in INTELECTO, OpenClaw, Hermes, or a Jarvis you build yourself.
02Three ideas that hold the pieces together
Click each tab.
1. One owner
INTELECTO is a personal assistant for one owner. It isn’t multiuser, doesn’t depend on the cloud, doesn’t need Docker, has no web dashboard, and isn’t a black box.
The plan calls for about three thousand lines and seven dependencies: you can read it.
The black box test
Can I explain what happens between my message and the response? If not, it’s a black box.
2. Loop with a brake
A chatbot responds and forgets. An agent thinks, acts with a tool, looks at the result, and thinks again.
Without a limit, an agent can keep spinning and spending without finishing. That’s why there’s a five-round brake.
Loop rule
At most 5 tool rounds per message; after that, respond with text.
3. Contracts
Each part is defined by a contract: the channel has start, send, and stop; the provider receives the conversation and tools, then returns a response.
Want WhatsApp instead of Telegram, or Ollama instead of OpenRouter? Use a different file with the same contract.
In practice
New tool = new file using the same pattern. The registry finds it automatically, without changing the core.
4. Start small
The feature guide organizes everything into eight areas: identity, security, channels, memory, automation, integrations, skills, and architecture.
You don’t need everything. Scheduling and web search, for example, are in the plan for the next phase.
Minimum setup
Loop + one brain + one channel + a basic SOUL. Memory comes right after.
03Where each part lives
The core folder tree that the agent builds in the repository example.
exemplo-jarvis · folders
jarvis/ channels/ # the door: terminal and Telegram agent/ # the heart: loop.py and context.py providers/ # the brain: contract + test model memory/ # the memory: SQLite with search tools/ # the hands: files, command, memory security/ # the vault: secrets and blocklist workspace/ SOUL.md AGENTS.md USER.md MEMORY.md # the identity
My table of the 7 parts
| Part | What it does (in my own words) | Where it lives | |-------------|---------------------------------|----------------| | Channel | | | | Loop | | | | Identity | | | | Brain | | | | Memory | | | | Tools | | | | Vault | | |
Repository example
- You write in Telegram.
- The channel receives it and passes it to the loop.
- The loop builds the context: SOUL + AGENTS + USER and relevant memories.
- The model responds or requests a tool; the loop runs it and returns the result (up to 5 rounds).
- The response goes back through the channel.
Chatbot: responds, forgets when the conversation ends, has no identity, doesn’t act, and doesn’t know you.
Jarvis: remembers past conversations, has a name and written values, uses tools, and knows your context.
04Practice: map the parts
Before you build, understand what you’re going to build.
P2 · Explain the path out loud
5 minExplain to someone (or record an audio message) how a message travels from Telegram to the response.
Done when: you named channel, loop, identity, memory, model, and tool in the right order, without looking.
05The seven parts on video
Nei opens up INTELECTO, one part at a time.
INTELECTO: the 7 parts of an AI agent · 7 min 46 secVideo page with script →
06Test what you learned
The explanation appears after your answer.
Question 1 of 4
What makes an agent more than just a chatbot?competency
Correct
The loop turns conversation into action. The model can stay the same; what changes is its ability to use tools and check the result before answering.Not this one
The loop turns conversation into action. The model can stay the same; what changes is its ability to use tools and check the result before answering.Review: Three ideas that hold the pieces togetherQuestion 2 of 4
What is the five-tool-round limit for?
Correct
The cap makes the agent answer after five rounds. A short, clear loop with a limit is what separates a useful agent from one that spends endlessly.Not this one
The cap makes the agent answer after five rounds. A short, clear loop with a limit is what separates a useful agent from one that spends endlessly.Review: Seven pieces, one pathQuestion 3 of 4
You want to switch from Telegram to WhatsApp. What changes?
Correct
Each part has a contract. A new channel implements the same three functions, and the loop doesn’t even notice the switch.Not this one
Each part has a contract. A new channel implements the same three functions, and the loop doesn’t even notice the switch.Review: Three ideas that hold the pieces togetherQuestion 4 of 4
Where does the assistant’s personality live?
Correct
SOUL, AGENTS, USER, and MEMORY are plain text. The agent reads all four with every message: change the text, and you change the assistant.Not this one
SOUL, AGENTS, USER, and MEMORY are plain text. The agent reads all four with every message: change the text, and you change the assistant.Review: Where each part livesTest complete
You got {a} out of {n} right. Get them all right to mark the lesson as complete.Choose an option. The explanation appears after your attempt.