Local AI · Sovereign AI · Secure AI
Local AI for companies: sovereign, secure, GDPR-compliant
Local AI runs on hardware in your own premises instead of in a provider’s cloud. Your data stays with you. That gives you control, makes data protection easier and makes you independent of the prices, terms and jurisdictions of outside providers. We advise, train and set up the technology — in person, from Cologne and Weimar.
Book tech sparring (30 min, free) View the AI Campaign Months
What is local AI?
Local AI means that language models (LLMs) run on computers that you own or control — in the office, in a server room or in a data centre of your choice. It is also called on-premise AI. Your requests and documents are processed there and are not sent to an external provider.
This is made possible by open models (open weights) and compact hardware. For many applications, Apple Silicon (Mac mini, Mac Studio) or NVIDIA DGX Spark is already enough.
| Cloud AI | Local AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Data | Goes to the provider. The provider decides location and jurisdiction. | Stays in your premises. |
| Costs | Ongoing, usage-based fees. | Purchase and electricity, then easy to plan. |
| Getting started | Ready in minutes. | Setup required. We take care of that. |
| Models | Current frontier models from the big providers. | Open models. Sufficient for many tasks; for very difficult tasks, frontier models can be better. |
| Operation and security | With the provider. | With you: updates, access, protection of the device. |
| Dependence | The provider decides prices and terms. | You decide and can switch models at any time. |
Hybrid is possible: sensitive data stays local, non-critical applications keep running via cloud interfaces. We tell you honestly where which solution makes sense.
Sovereign AI: what does it mean for your company?
AI is sovereign when you decide what happens to your data yourself — and are not merely promised it by contract. Four things belong to it:
Data sovereignty
You control the entire path of your data. Nothing flows unnoticed into third parties’ training data.
Access sovereignty
You decide who may use the AI. Requests and documents stay with you.
Operational sovereignty
No lock-in: you can switch models and software and keep running the technology yourself.
Location and jurisdiction
Your data sits in a place you know. This also avoids the question of the US CLOUD Act, which under certain circumstances allows US authorities to access data held by US providers even if it is stored in Europe.
Sovereignty does not mean self-sufficiency. It makes sense to keep handling non-critical tasks via cloud interfaces and to keep only the sensitive part local. We build the mix that fits your data and risks with you.
Secure AI: what is meant — and what is not?
For AI in a company, “secure” means two levels:
- Data security and data protection: Confidential content such as contracts, personnel data, customer data or source code does not leave the company. This makes GDPR compliance much easier. Whether contracts, impact assessments or information duties are needed in an individual case depends on your use case. We do not give legal advice, but we are happy to work with your data protection officer.
- Secure operation: Access rights, updates, strong passwords, logging and protection of the device. AI agents that use email, files or the web are run in isolation: a separate computer, its own email address, no access to confidential data or internal networks.
Important and honest: Local is not automatically secure. An unprotected computer is a risk wherever it stands. Security comes from configuration and operation. Both are part of our work, but also of your responsibility in daily use.
Legal framework in brief
- GDPR: With local processing, passing data on to third-party providers largely falls away. You still need to clarify legal basis, purpose and safeguards.
- EU AI Act, Article 4 (AI literacy): Since 2 February 2025, companies that use AI must take measures for the AI literacy of their staff. Since the AI Omnibus (Regulation (EU) 2026/1744, in force since 27 July 2026), they do not have to guarantee a specific level of competence. Documented training is an obvious way to demonstrate the measures. Our training can be documented.
- High-risk obligations of the AI Act apply later (Annex III from 2 December 2027).
This is not legal advice. For binding statements, please consult your legal counsel or your data protection officer.
What local AI is suited for
- Search and answers across your own documents (RAG), for example manuals, contracts, knowledge bases
- Summaries and text drafts with confidential content
- Extracting data from documents (for example invoices or forms) and processing it further
- Support for development teams without source code leaving the house
- Automating workflows, on request with an isolated AI agent
Our offer around local AI
Workshops & prototypes
From use case to working pilot project, shoulder to shoulder with your team.
Training
Three tracks for users, decision-makers and developers. Documentable under Article 4 AI Act.
AI boxes
Ready-configured local AI on Apple Silicon or NVIDIA DGX Spark, with consulting and onboarding.
You will find details in the AI Campaign Months 2026. Current prices and configurations are in the AI offers on the home page.
How we work
- Understand: workshop on your use cases, review of the current state, suitable hardware size. We listen before we build.
- Build: pilot project or prototype, local or hybrid, shoulder to shoulder with your team.
- Enable: training for users, decision-makers and developers, documented and tailored to your use case.
- Let go: We leave. Your team can do it. That was always the plan.
Frequently asked questions about local AI
What is local AI?
Is local AI automatically GDPR-compliant?
What does sovereign AI mean?
Is local AI more secure than cloud AI?
What hardware do I need?
How capable are local models?
Do we need our own hardware at all?
What does getting started cost?
Is there funding?
Arrange a call
30 minutes, free of charge: we clarify whether local AI fits your project and give an honest assessment of hardware, models and data protection. In person, from Cologne and Weimar. More about our location: AI consulting in Weimar and Thuringia.