01What Is Hermes Agent V0.20?

Hermes Agent V0.20 is the latest version of the Hermes AI agent, also called the Herald release. It brings big changes that make your AI feel more like a conversation partner than a tool. You can talk to it, interrupt it, and it responds in real time, almost like a phone call.

This update also makes Hermes faster, adds cited research, and lets it talk to other AI agents. It includes a desktop platform with new features like artifacts and smart approvals. In this episode, Julian Goldie walks through each update and shows how to use them step by step.

02Key New Features in Hermes Agent V0.20

The Herald release packs many updates. Here are the main ones:

  • Talk to Hermes – Voice speaks while responses generate, and you can interrupt mid-sentence.
  • Wake word – Say “Hey Hermes” from across the room and it starts listening.
  • Voice on every platform – Send voice notes on WhatsApp, FeiXu, DingTalk, LINE, QQ, and it replies with text-to-speech.
  • Grounded citation skill – Research responses include sources to reduce hallucinations.
  • Artifacts in desktop – View and preview created files with sandboxed live preview.
  • Agent-to-agent (A2A) – Hermes can talk to other compatible agents.

03How to Update and Get Started

Updating is simple. You do it from inside the AgentOS.

  1. Open the AgentOS.
  2. Go to the “Manage” section.
  3. Click “Update” to get the latest version.

Once updated, you can immediately start using the new features. For the wake word, go to the chat section and enable it. Then say “Hey Hermes” and ask a question like “What time is it?” and it will respond in real time.

That’s all you need to begin.

04How to Use Talk, Wake Word, and Voice

To use “Talk to Hermes,” open the Hermes Apollo setup or the AgentOS chat. Then just speak to it. It listens and responds out loud.

You can interrupt it by talking, and it will stop and adjust. This makes it feel like a real conversation.

The wake word gives you hands-free control. Keep Hermes Desktop on another monitor and say “Hey Hermes” to wake it up. It will start listening and respond.

You can also send voice notes on messaging apps. Hermes automatically replies with text-to-speech, and it knows which platform you are on.

05Using Artifacts and Smart Approvals in Desktop

In Hermes Desktop, the new artifacts feature shows everything you have created or used with Hermes across all platforms. For example, if you used Higgs Field with the MCP to make images, those images appear in the artifacts view. You can also run HTML apps and preview them inside the sandbox.

This is safer because the preview is sandboxed.

Smart approvals are another important feature. When Hermes is about to do something risky, like deleting a file, it asks for your approval first. This keeps you in control.

The desktop platform also got faster and looks better than when it first came out, according to Julian.

06Agent-to-Agent Protocol and Real-Time Steering

Hermes now speaks agent-to-agent. This new plugin implements the A2A protocol, so Hermes can discover, talk to, and be driven by other compatible agents. In practice, you can use it with the Agent Mastermind.

Post a message, and all your agents, including Hermes, can reply. They can bounce ideas off each other and even add ideas to your idea pipeline.

You can also steer Hermes mid-turn. If it goes the wrong way, just type a correction while it works. You no longer need to use “/stop” or re-explain.

For example, while it’s generating, you can say “do this” and it will adjust automatically.

07Performance and Speed Improvements

The Herald release makes Hermes much faster. The first token now appears in 0.9 seconds instead of 4.3 seconds. This is a huge speed boost.

The telemetry gate is also 54 times faster.

This speed shows up in real tasks. Earlier in the episode, Julian used the “/learn” command to give Hermes a guide. Hermes learned it as a skill and replied with DeepSeek quickly.

What used to take minutes with other models now takes seconds. If you also use newer models like DeepSeek R1 flash, it gets even faster.

08Tips, Limits, and Mistakes to Avoid

Here are some tips and warnings from the episode:

  • Use the wake feature only when you want hands-free control. It keeps listening in the background, so be mindful of privacy.
  • Take advantage of cited research to avoid hallucinations. Check the sources Hermes provides.
  • Use smart approvals for actions you are not sure about. Do not skip them, especially for deletions.
  • Corrections work best when you give them clearly. Just say what to do, and Hermes will adjust.
  • Remember that the desktop platform is still improving. It was not great at first, but it gets better with each update.

09Who Should Use Hermes Agent V0.20 and Why It Matters

This update is for anyone who uses AI agents for work or automation. If you want faster responses, voice control, or the ability to connect multiple agents, Hermes Agent V0.20 gives you that. It is especially useful for creators and business owners who want to streamline workflows.

The agent-to-agent protocol is something to watch. If it keeps improving, controlling all your AI agents will become much easier. With 647 contributors working on this release, Hermes is getting more powerful and more secure.

This update makes it a practical tool for real-time conversation and multi-agent orchestration.