Private AI
AI that runs on hardware you own.
For information that shouldn’t be sent to an outside AI provider, we build and manage private AI systems: capable models running on a server you control, answering questions and working with documents without a cloud AI service in the loop.
In one sentence
With cloud AI, your data goes to the model. With private AI, the model comes to your data.
Cloud or private?
Most businesses need both — for different work.
Private AI isn’t a replacement for ChatGPT or Claude. It’s the right tool for a specific slice of work. We help you decide which is which.
Business cloud AI
- Access to the most capable models
- Nothing to host or maintain
- Predictable per-seat cost
- Data is sent to the provider for processing, under its business terms
Private AI
- Prompts and documents processed on your hardware
- No outside AI provider involved in processing
- Upfront hardware cost plus ongoing management
- Very capable for drafting, summarizing and document Q&A; the largest cloud models usually still lead on the hardest tasks
Good fits
When private AI makes sense.
Private AI earns its cost when a business has a meaningful amount of work involving information it has decided not to send to cloud AI providers.
- Summarizing or searching internal documents your policy classifies as restricted
- Drafting from confidential contracts or proposals
- Working with proprietary designs, formulas or processes
- Client obligations or contracts that restrict third-party processing
- Owners who simply want certain information to stay on equipment they control
What's included
A complete system, managed like the rest of your IT.
A private AI server is still a server. It needs identity, encryption, backups, patching and monitoring — which is exactly what we already do.
Dedicated AI server
Local models
Local embeddings and search
Vector database
Company authentication
Encrypted storage
Backups
Patching and model updates
Remote administration
Monitoring
Honest expectations
What we'll tell you before you buy hardware.
Capability
Local models are good and improving quickly, but not identical to the best cloud models. We test your real tasks before recommending hardware.
Cost
There's an upfront hardware investment and ongoing management. For light use, cloud AI under a good policy may be the better value.
Boundaries
“Local” is only as private as the system around it. We document every connection — updates, remote management, monitoring — so you know exactly what reaches the outside world.
Ownership
The hardware, software licenses, models and data belong to you. If you part ways with Cydekick, the system stays.
Questions
Private AI questions
What is private AI?
Private AI means running an AI model on hardware your business controls — typically a dedicated server in your office or a private environment you own — so that prompts and documents are processed there rather than sent to a public AI provider.
Local models are very capable for many tasks such as summarizing, drafting and answering questions from documents, though the largest cloud models are usually stronger on the hardest problems. We help you decide which work belongs where.
Can you build a completely local AI system?
Yes. We can design, install and manage a local AI system: the server hardware, the models, local document search, company sign-in, encrypted storage, backups, patching and monitoring. It can be configured so that prompts and documents don't go to an outside AI provider.
"Local" still needs care: the server must be secured, backed up and kept up to date, and any remote management or software updates are planned so they don't quietly open a path out. We document exactly what connects to what.
Can different employees have different access?
They should. A well-built knowledge assistant respects the same permissions as your files: if an employee can't open a document, the assistant shouldn't use it to answer their question. We design for this from the start using your existing sign-in groups, and we test it before launch. Where a platform can't enforce document-level permissions reliably, we keep sensitive material out of it.
Do you support regulated businesses?
We work with many kinds of small businesses, but we don't claim any automatic compliance status — for example HIPAA, PCI DSS, CJIS, SOC 2 or legal-industry requirements. Regulated organizations often need specific contracts (such as business associate agreements), additional technical controls and review by their own compliance or legal advisors.
If you're regulated, tell us early. We'll be honest about what we can support, what would need to be added, and when a specialist is the better fit.
Not sure whether you need private AI?
Most businesses don't know until they look at what information their team actually works with. Our AI readiness assessment answers that question before you spend anything on hardware.