How to Run a Chatbot on Your Own Computer | WIRED

摘要: David Nield

Aug 29, 2026 6:00 AM

How to Run a Chatbot on Your Own Computer

Installing a large language model on your personal computer gives

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David Nield

Aug 29, 2026 6:00 AM

How to Run a Chatbot on Your Own Computer

Installing a large language model on your personal computer gives you a handy digital assistant that won’t compromise your data privacy.

Photo-Illustration: Wired Staff; Getty Images

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It's no exaggeration

to say the

large language models

that power AI bots like

are changing the world. Many of us are now relying on them for coding, writing, summarizing, and searching the web. Whatever directions AI goes in over the next few years, LLMs will be part of that future.

If you use ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or any of the other AI platforms, then you're using an LLM. What's less commonly known is that these LLMs can be run locally, on your own computer. The key benefits are offline access and greater privacy, because you're not sending anything to the cloud for anyone else to analyze or review.

You're also not paying any AI companies a

monthly subscription

or hitting any usage rates. Numerous LLMs are available to download for free, including from big names like Meta and Google. Though they tend not to be as advanced or as speedy as the LLMs inside the apps you have to pay for, they're capable enough for everyday use, and you can pick and choose between them as needed.

There is more maintenance involved here, and you lose some of the convenience that comes with just loading up the ChatGPT app. (You'll need to handle updates yourself, for example.) However, you get a more personalized and private AI system all to yourself, and it's not difficult to get started.

What You Need to Get Started

You can run local LLMs on

, though macOS tends to be the preferred platform for most AI enthusiasts. Everything is more unified and consistent on Macs—unlike Windows PCs, only one company makes them—and Apple Silicon chips combine the CPU, GPU, and

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