---
title: illuminate and AI apps
description: What AI apps can read from illuminate, what they can't, and what to ask them.
section: AI apps
order: 1
updated: 2026-11-01
related: [ai-apps-on-your-mac, remote-access]
---
# illuminate and AI apps

AI apps like Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and Codex can read your illuminate library, so you can say *"check my latest illuminate bug report"* and they pick it up from there. You don't paste anything or export a file.

They connect through illuminate's **MCP server**. MCP is the standard way AI apps connect to tools, and illuminate's server comes inside the app.

## Two ways to connect

| | On this Mac | From anywhere |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **For** | Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, other apps on your Mac | ChatGPT, Claude on the web, Cursor, on any device |
| **Set up in** | Settings → AI Apps | Settings → Remote Access |
| **Needs** | Nothing extra; free | Pro, and this Mac awake with illuminate open |
| **Your recordings** | Never leave your Mac | Pass through illuminate, encrypted in transit; nothing is stored |

How: [AI apps on your Mac](/guide/ai-apps-on-your-mac.html) · [Remote access](/guide/remote-access.html)

## What AI apps can do

Read, and only read. They can't record, delete, share or change anything.

- **List sessions:** your recent recordings, newest first, with the reports each has.
- **Search sessions:** find recordings by what was said or shown.
- **Latest report:** the newest report, or the newest of a type, such as a bug report.
- **A report:** any session's report, in full.
- **Evidence:** what a report was written from: the transcript, timeline, screenshots, selections, annotations and links.

## Things to ask

- "What did I record today in illuminate?"
- "Get my latest illuminate bug report and fix it."
- "Search my illuminate sessions for the checkout error and summarize what I showed."
- "Use the evidence from that session to write the steps to reproduce."

## Good to know

- **The AI app only reads what it asks for.** Each request goes to illuminate on your Mac and is answered from there.
- **Turn it off any time:** disconnect an app in Settings → AI Apps, or revoke it in Settings → Remote Access.