Most chat conversations stop when you stop typing. Some AI work keeps going after you walk away, and it keeps using your usage limit while it runs. It can also keep acting in your apps, like sending messages or changing files.
What Keeps Running
Two kinds of work carry on without you, and both usually run in the cloud:
- Scheduled tasks run at times you set. Many chat apps let you ask for something like an industry news digest every morning or a sales summary every Friday. Each run is a new piece of work, and each one counts toward your limit.
- Always-on agents work toward a goal you give them, for hours or days, like following up on unpaid invoices. They check back with you when they need a decision. They run on the company’s computers and stay connected to your apps, so closing the app or turning off your computer doesn’t stop them.
Here’s what that looks like over a lunch break:
