Everyday productivity
Choose a private AI tool that runs on your computer
You will know whether a local tool suits you and have tested one on non-private material.
Before you start
- A reason to keep data on your own machine
- A computer that is not very old
- Patience for a slower tool
What local means
A local tool runs on your computer, so your material need not be sent to a company’s servers. That helps with privacy. The trade-offs are speed, set-up effort and often weaker results than the biggest online tools.
Step 1: Check whether it fits
- Is your material private enough to justify it?
- Is your computer powerful enough? Check the tool’s own requirements.
- Is the tool still maintained, with recent updates?
- What licence does it use, and does it allow your use?
Step 2: Try it on harmless material
- Download only from the maker’s official page.
- Run it first on text or images with nothing private in them.
- Compare the result with your usual tool.
Step 3: Keep it safe
- Keep it updated.
- Check whether it sends any data online, and how to switch that off.
- Back up what you create.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Downloading from an unofficial site
- Assuming local means perfectly private
- Expecting the same quality as the largest online tools
- Not checking the licence
Final checklist
- I confirmed the tool is maintained
- I downloaded from the official source
- I tested on harmless material
- I know what it sends online