Private AI should not be only for the giants

Honestly, I did not plan any of this. It started with a Minecraft server for my mates. I had to figure out why it kept crashing, and that is where I got hooked on fixing stuff.

From there it was old laptops, then building gaming PCs. Every time I got something working, I ended up helping a friend, then someone else, then a family member's laptop that was on its last legs. I like that part more than the tech itself.

Then AI got me. I kept asking the same question: why does my data have to live on someone else's computer? I got good at setting up AI on a machine you own, and I realised the people around me had no idea it was even an option.

AI is now a race, and most of the attention goes to the biggest companies and the biggest models. That is fine for them. But a small office with a stack of contracts, policies and client records does not need the biggest model. It needs an answer it can trust, from files that stay in the office.

So I am sharing what I have learned. Private AI should not be something only the giant companies can afford or set up. Small offices deserve it too, and I want to make sure they are not left behind.

I will also keep telling people when the AI is wrong, because checking the answer is the part that actually helps.

Opinion piece, written by Dan at Littledong Gordon, 13 October 2026. It reflects my own views and is not legal, financial or technical advice. Check any AI answer against your own source documents.