It's no exaggeration to say the large language models that power AI bots like ChatGPT and Gemini 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.
\n\nIf 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.
\n\nYou'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.
\n\nThere is more maintenance involved here, and you lose some of the convenience that comes with just loading up…
Original source: https://www.wired.com/