ryOS shows what an AI-native operating system feels like
Originally posted on LinkedIn, June 1, 2025.
It is wild that this operating system was built and runs with AI, entirely inside the browser. ryOS is a fake operating system that looks and behaves like a computer from the 1990s, complete with old icons, music on an iPod, drawing in MacPaint, pop-up windows, and a Terminal.
That interface is a wrapper around what is really happening. The entire system is powered by AI that understands what you are doing, helps with code, edits files, runs commands, and more. It is a demonstration of what browsers and operating systems could become when AI is part of the system rather than just a chatbot.
The creator built almost everything himself using an approach he calls "vibe-coded." Instead of following a formal specification, he made choices based on what felt right. The design, sounds, and user experience were all built to create wonder and nostalgia while expressing a new idea.
This is more than an open-source project. It is a small, living world built almost entirely by one person: Ryo Lu, head of design at Cursor.ai.
The interface includes:
- Finder with a virtual file system.
- MacPaint for drawing in an 1980s style.
- An iPod that plays YouTube playlists and has a working click wheel.
- A Synth with MIDI support.
- A Terminal with an AI assistant named Ryo that can edit files, run commands, and talk with you.
- Internet Explorer with Wayback Machine integration.
There are many more small apps, all built with retro visuals, sound effects, and the same attention to detail.
Beyond the nostalgia, ryOS is an experiment in what a user interface becomes when AI is part of the system rather than an add-on. Every app can talk to your assistant, understand context, and act on it.
It is not a commercial product. It is a Proof-of-Concept for what future browsers and applications could be, with its code open and available to everyone on Github. Sometimes, imagining the future requires going back to the past.
