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Running AI on your own computer, explained simply
If you've used ChatGPT, you already know what this feels like. The difference is where it runs.
What is "local AI"?
When you use ChatGPT, your question travels to a company's computers, gets answered there, and comes back. Local AI does the same work on your own computer. You download the AI once, and after that it runs without the internet.
The AI itself is a file called a model. Many good ones are free to download.
Why bother?
- Privacy. Your questions, documents, and recordings never leave your computer.
- No monthly fee. The software in our projects is free.
- Works offline. On a plane, in a cabin, or when a service is down.
- You learn how it works. Handy whether you're curious or run a business.
What you need
Probably the computer you already have. The thing that matters most is memory (RAM): 16 GB handles most of our projects, and 8 GB can do some. A graphics card or a newer Mac makes things faster but isn't required.
Not sure what you have? Here's how to check in under a minute.
What to expect
- Local models are smaller than ChatGPT's. They're good at everyday jobs and weaker at hard reasoning.
- Answers may come slower than you're used to on modest hardware. Each project will show how fast it ran on real machines once we've tested it.
- It will make mistakes. All AI does, and the smaller models that fit on a home computer get things wrong more often than ChatGPT. They can sound completely sure while being wrong. Use them as a helpful first draft, double-check anything that matters, and never rely on them for health, legal, money, or safety decisions. More on using AI safely.
- Setup takes 20 to 45 minutes for most projects, mostly waiting on downloads.
The easy way: let an AI assistant set it up
Every project includes a ready-made set of instructions you can paste into an AI coding assistant such as Claude Code, Codex, or OpenCode. It installs everything, checks that it works, and tells you how to use it. If you'd rather do it by hand, the exact steps are there too.