Zeynab Gurbanova@zgurbanva

The Problem Modern software development demands speed and accuracy, yet developers constantly lose focus due to context switching. When developers encounter complex bugs, need to refactor across multiple files, or require boilerplate generation, they typically leave their editor to consult external AI chatbots. This workflow is highly fragmented; external AIs lack deep, real-time context of the local codebase, leading to generic suggestions that require tedious manual integration. Furthermore, existing AI coding assistants often act as simple autocomplete tools rather than true autonomous agents capable of executing multi-step workflows directly within the developer's native environment. Our Solution To bridge this gap, we built Agentic Local, an autonomous workflow environment designed specifically around Bob IDE. Powered heavily by IBM Bob, our solution acts as a proactive AI teammate that resides entirely within the local Bob IDE ecosystem. Rather than just suggesting snippets, this agent analyzes the specific local repository, understands workspace dependencies, and autonomously executes complex tasks—such as code generation, deep debugging, and multi-file refactoring—while keeping the developer fully in control. Target Users & Interaction Our target users are software engineers, open-source contributors, and development teams who want a unified, intelligent workspace without context switching. Users interact with the system via a seamless interface directly within Bob IDE. A developer simply assigns a task (e.g., "Refactor the authentication module to use JWT and update the test files"). The agent, orchestrated by IBM Bob’s reasoning engine, breaks this prompt into actionable steps, scans local files for real-time context, generates the code, and proposes the changes. The developer reviews the execution plan and approves the modifications with a single click. What Makes It Creative & Unique Unlike traditional AI tools that rely on passive autocomplete or require copying and pasting from browser tabs, our project introduces true agentic autonomy natively into the local machine. What makes it unique is its deep integration with the Bob IDE architecture to handle complex reasoning and task orchestration. It doesn't just write code; it plans, reads local file structures, understands project architecture, and executes workflows locally. This respects the developer's environment security and completely eliminates the latency of context sharing. How It Effectively & Efficiently Addresses the Issue Embedding this autonomous agent into Bob IDE dramatically reduces development time by eliminating context switching. By leveraging IBM Bob’s advanced capabilities for logical planning, the system understands the "why" behind a task, not just the "how." It is highly efficient because it targets exact files in the local repository automatically, eliminating the need to manually explain project structures to an external AI. This approach minimizes human error, accelerates debugging, and allows developers to focus on high-level architecture, delivering a highly effective and streamlined software engineering lifecycle.

💻 Online Hackathon | ⏳ Build: 48 hours | 📅 September 25–27, 2026 The official IBM Bob 2.0 hackathon. Build what's next in AI-assisted development, alongside the developers and experts shaping it. ⭐ Get help from experts throughout the event 🤝 Join a team or build solo 💰 Prize pool: $12,000 🧑🏻‍💻 Register before the Kick-Off Stream to start building with Bob