Docs/AI/Bring Your Own AI

Bring Your Own AI

Already have Claude, ChatGPT, or another AI? Point it at your Elysium data folder and it can read and write your schedule directly.

Free — no Elysium AI subscription required

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How it works

When you enable BYOAI in Elysium, the app creates an OpenTime folder on your device and auto-generates a README.md inside it. This file documents the complete .ot file format — including all standard OpenTime fields and Elysium-specific extensions.

Point your AI at that folder and it will be able to read and write your schedule correctly — creating tasks, goals, events, and more in the exact format Elysium expects.

1

Enable BYOAI

Settings → AI → Bring Your Own AI

2

Folder is created

OpenTime folder + README.md auto-generated on your device

3

Point your AI

Give your AI read/write access to that folder

Supported AI tools

AI toolSupportNotes
Claude Desktop + MCPFull ✓Recommended — direct file read/write access on macOS
Claude CodeFull ✓Terminal-based — great for technical users
OpenClaw (Telegram)Full ✓Phone-based via Telegram — best with local models or API with Extra Usage
ChatGPT (file access)Full ✓Requires ChatGPT Plus with file access enabled
Claude (claude.ai)PartialUpload .ot files manually each session
Local models (Ollama, LM Studio)Full ✓Free and private — works great with OpenClaw or any tool-capable setup

Enable BYOAI in Elysium

  1. 1.Open Settings in Elysium.
  2. 2.Go to AI → Bring Your Own AI.
  3. 3.Tap Enable. Elysium creates the OpenTime folder and generates README.md inside it.
  4. 4.Note the folder path shown — you'll need it for your AI setup.

To regenerate the README manually: Settings → AI → Bring Your Own AI → Regenerate.

Claude Desktop + MCP (recommended)

Claude Desktop is Anthropic's desktop app for macOS. Using MCP (Model Context Protocol), it can read and write files directly on your computer — making it the best BYOAI setup for managing your Elysium schedule.

Setup steps

  1. 1.Download and install Claude Desktop. You'll need a Claude subscription (Pro, Max, or Team).
  2. 2.Open Settings (Cmd+,) and go to the MCP section. Add a file system server with your OpenTime folder path.
  3. 3.Restart Claude Desktop. It can now read and write files in your OpenTime folder directly.
  4. 4.Start scheduling: "Read the README.md in my OpenTime folder, then help me plan my week."
Tip: Use Claude Desktop's Projects feature to add your README.md as project context. This way Claude always has the format reference loaded without you needing to ask it to read the file each session.
Alternative: Claude Code — If you prefer the terminal, Claude Code can also read and write files directly. Navigate to your OpenTime folder, run claude, and start chatting. No additional configuration needed.

For phone-based scheduling, Elysium AI is the best option — it's built into the app and works natively on iOS.

OpenClaw (phone via Telegram)

OpenClaw is a Telegram bot that gives AI models access to files on your Mac or iPhone. This is the best BYOAI setup for phone use — manage your schedule from Telegram while away from your computer.

Note on Claude: Using Claude through OpenClaw requires Extra Usage to be enabled on your Anthropic API account — it does not draw from a standard Claude subscription. For a no-cost option, pair OpenClaw with a local model like Ollama instead.

Setup steps

  1. 1.Install OpenClaw from the App Store and follow the setup to connect your API key (Anthropic, OpenAI, or a local model endpoint).
  2. 2.In OpenClaw, grant it access to your OpenTime folder (the one Elysium created in Settings → AI → BYOAI).
  3. 3.Connect to Telegram when prompted — OpenClaw creates a personal bot for you.
  4. 4.Open your OpenClaw bot in Telegram and start scheduling: "Read the README.md in my OpenTime folder, then help me plan my week."
Best with local models: Pair OpenClaw with Ollama or similar to keep everything free and private. No API costs, no cloud dependency — your schedule stays entirely on your device.

ChatGPT with file access

ChatGPT with file access (available on ChatGPT Plus) can read and write files on your computer when given access through a connected tool.

Setup steps

  1. 1.Make sure you have ChatGPT Plus with file access or the desktop app with computer use enabled.
  2. 2.Start a new conversation and upload your README.md from the OpenTime folder, or paste its contents directly.
  3. 3.Tell ChatGPT the path to your OpenTime folder so it can read and write .ot files.
  4. 4.Begin scheduling: "Based on the format in the README, add these tasks to my schedule..."

Note: ChatGPT file write access depends on the tool configuration. Check the ChatGPT docs for the latest on computer use capabilities.

Local models (Ollama, LM Studio, etc.)

Local models are a great fit for BYOAI — they're free, private, and keep your schedule data entirely on your device. The easiest way to use a local model with Elysium is through OpenClaw, which gives any compatible model file access via Telegram.

Recommended setup: Ollama + OpenClaw

  1. 1.Install Ollama and pull a capable model (e.g. ollama pull llama3.1).
  2. 2.Set up OpenClaw and point it at your local Ollama endpoint.
  3. 3.Grant OpenClaw access to your OpenTime folder and connect to Telegram.
  4. 4.Start chatting — your local model can now read and write your schedule files.

You can also use local models directly if your setup supports tool use / function calling with file system access. Point the model at your OpenTime folder and give it the README.md as context. The format is plain YAML — most capable models understand it well.

Example prompts

Use these to get started. Adjust to match your AI tool's interface.

“Read the README.md in my OpenTime folder, then add a task: finish the proposal by Friday at 6pm.”

“Create a project called "Home Renovation" with goals for plumbing, painting, and flooring, each with a target date next month.”

“Move all tasks scheduled for this Friday to next Monday. Keep the event times unchanged.”

“I need to study 4 hours for an exam on Thursday. Add focused study sessions across my evenings this week.”

“Set up a daily habit: 20-minute morning walk at 7am, every weekday.”

“What tasks do I have due this week? Which ones don't have a scheduled time yet?”

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