Docker AI overview
Docker provides tools for working with AI across your development workflow. Each tool serves a different purpose.
Which tool do I need?
| I want to... | Use | CLI command |
|---|---|---|
| Get AI help with Docker tasks (containers, images, Dockerfiles) | Gordon | docker ai |
| Run AI models locally with an OpenAI-compatible API | Model Runner | docker model |
| Connect AI tools to external services via MCP | MCP Catalog and Toolkit | docker mcp |
| Build and orchestrate custom multi-agent teams | Docker Agent | docker agent |
| Run coding agents in isolated environments | Docker Sandboxes | docker sandbox |
How these tools relate
Gordon is Docker's built-in AI assistant. It helps with Docker-specific
tasks like debugging containers, writing Dockerfiles, and managing images. You
interact with it through Docker Desktop or the docker ai command.
Docker Agent is an open-source framework for defining teams of AI agents in YAML. You configure agents with specific roles, models, and tools, then run them from your terminal. Docker Agent is a general-purpose agent runtime, not specific to Docker tasks.
Docker Sandboxes provides isolated microVM environments for running coding agents. It supports multiple agents including Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Gemini, and Docker Agent. Sandboxes is the isolation layer — the agents themselves are separate tools.
Model Runner lets you run LLMs locally. Other tools like Docker Agent can use Model Runner as a model provider.
MCP Catalog and Toolkit manages connections between AI tools and external services using the Model Context Protocol. Gordon, Docker Agent, and third-party tools can all use MCP servers configured through the Toolkit.