Private AI
The useful bits of AI, without sending your business data to someone else's servers.
Professional, knowledgeable and reliable, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Rob and his services.
Rob has done an excellent job managing the server-side setup for my website, including pointing the old domains to the new site and setting up redirects to ensure existing links and Google traffic continue to reach the right place. I’m extremely pleased with the work he’s carried out. His communication has been excellent throughout, and he explains everything clearly, making even the more technical aspects easy to understand. Professional, knowledgeable and reliable, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Rob and his services.
The problem
Your team is already using AI. Probably on personal accounts, probably pasting in things that shouldn't leave the building. Client contracts, staff records, the odd spreadsheet of customer details.
The usual fix is a business plan with one of the big providers, charged per person per month, with your data still going to their servers. For a lot of businesses that's fine. For some it isn't.
There is another way. Open AI models have got good enough to run on a single decent machine. Not as clever as the very best cloud models, and I won't pretend otherwise, but more than good enough for summarising, drafting, and finding things in your own documents.
What's included
- A chat with you about what your team actually wants AI for, and whether running it yourself makes sense.
- Choosing the hardware. Often a Mac Studio or a small GPU server, bought in your name, so it's yours.
- Setting up the models and a private chat app your team logs in to, with their own accounts.
- Connecting it to your own documents, so people can ask questions of your files rather than the internet.
- Locking it down: only reachable from your network or over a secure connection, backed up, and kept updated.
- A short session showing your team what it's good at, and what it isn't.
What it's good at, honestly
| Good at | Less good at |
|---|---|
| Summarising long documents and email threads | Hard reasoning that the top cloud models handle better |
| First drafts of letters, policies and proposals | Anything needing up-to-the-minute knowledge of the world |
| Answering questions about your own files | Replacing a person's judgement |
What you get at the end
An AI assistant your team can use every day, on hardware you own, with your data staying where it is.
No per-user fees. Adding a new starter costs nothing extra. If you ever want to change models or move away from me, you can.
How it's priced
A one-off setup fee, plus the hardware, which is bought in your name. Ongoing updates and care can go on a monthly retainer. I'll quote once I know how your team wants to use it.
I do the work myself, and the quote and invoice come from me.
Who it's for
- Businesses that handle confidential information: legal, financial, HR, health, or client data under contract.
- Teams already using AI informally who want a safe, sanctioned way to do it.
- Anyone who would rather own their tools than rent them per person.
Questions
Is it as good as ChatGPT?
Not quite, at the very top end. For the everyday jobs most teams use AI for, it's closer than you'd think. I'll show you on real examples before you buy anything.
Where does it run?
Either on a machine in your office or on a dedicated server in a UK data centre. Your choice, and I'll explain the trade-offs.
Does any data go to the cloud?
No. The models run on your hardware. Nothing is sent to an AI company.
What does the hardware cost?
It depends on how many people will use it and how. I'll give you options before anything is bought, and it's bought in your name.
How do I pay?
Half when you give the go-ahead, half when your team is up and running. Ongoing care can go on a monthly retainer.
Anything else I should know about prices?
- Retainer clients get 10% off project work and the breach rate.
- Out-of-hours emergency work is by arrangement, not a 24/7 promise.
- I'm not VAT registered, so there is no VAT to add.
Talk through private AI
Tell me what your team uses AI for now, and what worries you about it. I'll tell you honestly whether running your own makes sense.