How to Run a Chatbot on Your Own Computer
wired ·
The article explains how to install and run a large language model (LLM) on a personal computer for offline, private use. It lists benefits such as no subscription fees and no data sent to the cloud, though local models may be less powerful than commercial ones. Recommendations include having at least 8 GB of RAM, with 16 GB or more preferred, and a dedicated GPU with ample VRAM for better performance. Popular software tools for running local LLMs include LM Studio Bionic, Ollama, and GPT4All, while Hugging Face offers a vast repository of models. As an example, the article walks through setting up LM Studio Bionic on Windows, explaining how to create a project, select a model, and use the chat interface. It notes that users are responsible for maintenance, such as installing updates, and that models can be customized through settings. The piece emphasizes that local LLMs provide a personalized and private alternative to cloud-based chatbots.
wired