diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d9983c54ba94..f86bd218b7fa 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ autogpt/keys.py
 autogpt/*json
 autogpt/node_modules/
 autogpt/__pycache__/keys.cpython-310.pyc
+autogpt/auto_gpt_workspace
 package-lock.json
 *.pyc
 *.mpeg
diff --git a/autogpt/app.py b/autogpt/app.py
index 78b5bd2fdeb0..19c075f0b09a 100644
--- a/autogpt/app.py
+++ b/autogpt/app.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
     read_file,
     search_files,
     write_to_file,
+    download_file
 )
 from autogpt.json_fixes.parsing import fix_and_parse_json
 from autogpt.memory import get_memory
@@ -164,6 +165,10 @@ def execute_command(command_name: str, arguments):
             return delete_file(arguments["file"])
         elif command_name == "search_files":
             return search_files(arguments["directory"])
+        elif command_name == "download_file":
+            if not CFG.allow_downloads:
+                return "Error: You do not have user authorization to download files locally."
+            return download_file(arguments["url"], arguments["file"])
         elif command_name == "browse_website":
             return browse_website(arguments["url"], arguments["question"])
         # TODO: Change these to take in a file rather than pasted code, if
diff --git a/autogpt/args.py b/autogpt/args.py
index eca3233472b0..f0e9c07a362a 100644
--- a/autogpt/args.py
+++ b/autogpt/args.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 """This module contains the argument parsing logic for the script."""
 import argparse
 
-from colorama import Fore
+from colorama import Fore, Back, Style
 from autogpt import utils
 from autogpt.config import Config
 from autogpt.logs import logger
@@ -63,6 +63,12 @@ def parse_arguments() -> None:
         help="Specifies which ai_settings.yaml file to use, will also automatically"
         " skip the re-prompt.",
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--allow-downloads',
+        action='store_true',
+        dest='allow_downloads',
+        help='Dangerous: Allows Auto-GPT to download files natively.'
+    )
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
     if args.debug:
@@ -133,5 +139,13 @@ def parse_arguments() -> None:
         CFG.ai_settings_file = file
         CFG.skip_reprompt = True
 
+    if args.allow_downloads:
+        logger.typewriter_log("Native Downloading:", Fore.GREEN, "ENABLED")
+        logger.typewriter_log("WARNING: ", Fore.YELLOW,
+                              f"{Back.LIGHTYELLOW_EX}Auto-GPT will now be able to download and save files to your machine.{Back.RESET} " +
+                              "It is recommended that you monitor any files it downloads carefully.")
+        logger.typewriter_log("WARNING: ", Fore.YELLOW, f"{Back.RED + Style.BRIGHT}ALWAYS REMEMBER TO NEVER OPEN FILES YOU AREN'T SURE OF!{Style.RESET_ALL}")
+        CFG.allow_downloads = True
+
     if args.browser_name:
         CFG.selenium_web_browser = args.browser_name
diff --git a/autogpt/commands/file_operations.py b/autogpt/commands/file_operations.py
index 8abc2e232939..d273c1a34ddd 100644
--- a/autogpt/commands/file_operations.py
+++ b/autogpt/commands/file_operations.py
@@ -4,9 +4,16 @@
 import os
 import os.path
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Generator
+from typing import Generator, List
+import requests
+from requests.adapters import HTTPAdapter
+from requests.adapters import Retry
+from colorama import Fore, Back
+from autogpt.spinner import Spinner
+from autogpt.utils import readable_file_size
 from autogpt.workspace import path_in_workspace, WORKSPACE_PATH
 
+
 LOG_FILE = "file_logger.txt"
 LOG_FILE_PATH = WORKSPACE_PATH / LOG_FILE
 
@@ -214,3 +221,43 @@ def search_files(directory: str) -> list[str]:
             found_files.append(relative_path)
 
     return found_files
+
+
+def download_file(url, filename):
+    """Downloads a file
+    Args:
+        url (str): URL of the file to download
+        filename (str): Filename to save the file as
+    """
+    safe_filename = path_in_workspace(filename)
+    try:
+        message = f"{Fore.YELLOW}Downloading file from {Back.LIGHTBLUE_EX}{url}{Back.RESET}{Fore.RESET}"
+        with Spinner(message) as spinner:
+            session = requests.Session()
+            retry = Retry(total=3, backoff_factor=1, status_forcelist=[502, 503, 504])
+            adapter = HTTPAdapter(max_retries=retry)
+            session.mount('http://', adapter)
+            session.mount('https://', adapter)
+
+            total_size = 0
+            downloaded_size = 0
+
+            with session.get(url, allow_redirects=True, stream=True) as r:
+                r.raise_for_status()
+                total_size = int(r.headers.get('Content-Length', 0))
+                downloaded_size = 0
+
+                with open(safe_filename, 'wb') as f:
+                    for chunk in r.iter_content(chunk_size=8192):
+                        f.write(chunk)
+                        downloaded_size += len(chunk)
+
+                         # Update the progress message
+                        progress = f"{readable_file_size(downloaded_size)} / {readable_file_size(total_size)}"
+                        spinner.update_message(f"{message} {progress}")
+
+            return f'Successfully downloaded and locally stored file: "{filename}"! (Size: {readable_file_size(total_size)})'
+    except requests.HTTPError as e:
+        return f"Got an HTTP Error whilst trying to download file: {e}"
+    except Exception as e:
+        return "Error: " + str(e)
diff --git a/autogpt/config/config.py b/autogpt/config/config.py
index 22da52b047e7..fe6f4f325852 100644
--- a/autogpt/config/config.py
+++ b/autogpt/config/config.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ def __init__(self) -> None:
         self.continuous_limit = 0
         self.speak_mode = False
         self.skip_reprompt = False
+        self.allow_downloads = False
 
         self.selenium_web_browser = os.getenv("USE_WEB_BROWSER", "chrome")
         self.ai_settings_file = os.getenv("AI_SETTINGS_FILE", "ai_settings.yaml")
diff --git a/autogpt/prompt.py b/autogpt/prompt.py
index 18a5736c19e8..a2b20b1fefb0 100644
--- a/autogpt/prompt.py
+++ b/autogpt/prompt.py
@@ -105,6 +105,16 @@ def get_prompt() -> str:
             ),
         )
 
+    # Only add the download file command if the AI is allowed to execute it
+    if cfg.allow_downloads:
+        commands.append(
+            (
+                "Downloads a file from the internet, and stores it locally",
+                "download_file",
+                {"url": "<file_url>", "file": "<saved_filename>"}
+            ),
+        )
+
     # Add these command last.
     commands.append(
         ("Do Nothing", "do_nothing", {}),
diff --git a/autogpt/spinner.py b/autogpt/spinner.py
index 56b4f20a686b..febcea8eb110 100644
--- a/autogpt/spinner.py
+++ b/autogpt/spinner.py
@@ -29,12 +29,14 @@ def spin(self) -> None:
             time.sleep(self.delay)
             sys.stdout.write(f"\r{' ' * (len(self.message) + 2)}\r")
 
-    def __enter__(self) -> None:
+    def __enter__(self):
         """Start the spinner"""
         self.running = True
         self.spinner_thread = threading.Thread(target=self.spin)
         self.spinner_thread.start()
 
+        return self
+
     def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc_value, exc_traceback) -> None:
         """Stop the spinner
 
@@ -48,3 +50,14 @@ def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc_value, exc_traceback) -> None:
             self.spinner_thread.join()
         sys.stdout.write(f"\r{' ' * (len(self.message) + 2)}\r")
         sys.stdout.flush()
+
+    def update_message(self, new_message, delay=0.1):
+        """Update the spinner message
+        Args:
+            new_message (str): New message to display
+            delay: Delay in seconds before updating the message
+        """
+        time.sleep(delay)
+        sys.stdout.write(f"\r{' ' * (len(self.message) + 2)}\r")  # Clear the current message
+        sys.stdout.flush()
+        self.message = new_message
diff --git a/autogpt/utils.py b/autogpt/utils.py
index 59709d02be6c..11d98d1b7429 100644
--- a/autogpt/utils.py
+++ b/autogpt/utils.py
@@ -24,3 +24,16 @@ def validate_yaml_file(file: str):
         )
 
     return (True, f"Successfully validated {Fore.CYAN}`{file}`{Fore.RESET}!")
+
+
+def readable_file_size(size, decimal_places=2):
+    """Converts the given size in bytes to a readable format.
+    Args:
+        size: Size in bytes
+        decimal_places (int): Number of decimal places to display
+    """
+    for unit in ['B', 'KB', 'MB', 'GB', 'TB']:
+        if size < 1024.0:
+            break
+        size /= 1024.0
+    return f"{size:.{decimal_places}f} {unit}"