Running your own local open source AI model is easy – here’s how: Decrypt

If you’re not a developer, why on earth would you want to run an open source AI model on your home computer?

It turns out there are a number of good reasons for this. And since free, open source models are better than ever – and easy to use, with minimal hardware requirements – now is a good time to give it a try.

Here are some reasons why open source models are better than paying $20 per month to ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google:

• It’s free. No subscription fees.
• Your data remains on your computer.
• It works offline, no internet connection required.
• You can train and customize your model for specific use cases, such as creative writing or… well, anything else.

The barrier to entry has collapsed. There are now special programs that allow users to experiment with AI without having to install libraries, dependencies and plugins on their own. Just about anyone with a relatively new computer can do it: a mid-range laptop or desktop with 8GB of video memory can be surprisingly powerful…