Private AI
Private AI for business, explained
Private AI for business means using AI while keeping your company's data under your control, instead of sending it to a public service. How private it really is depends on where the models run, and there is more than one answer.
Why businesses look for private AI
Staff paste contracts, customer records and financial figures into AI tools because it saves them time. Once that text reaches an outside service, your company is relying on that service's systems and terms to protect it. Private AI is about reducing how much you have to rely on. Our guide to AI data privacy for business lists what to ask a vendor.
The options, from least to most private
| Option | Where your data goes | What it asks of you |
|---|---|---|
| Public AI tool | To the provider, under its standard terms | Nothing, but you have the least control |
| Business plan with contract terms | To the provider, under stronger written promises | Reading and trusting the contract |
| Private cloud | To computers set aside for you, owned by someone else | A larger budget, and some technical skill |
| On-premise | Nowhere. It stays on computers you own | Your own computers, and looking after them |
Only the last two are usually called private AI. Still, a business plan with strong terms can be enough for many small teams, so it is worth weighing up honestly.
How to choose
- Must the data stay in your building? If a law, contract or client says so, you need on-premise.
- Do you need to work without internet? Only on-premise can do this.
- Do you have computers and someone to look after them? If not, on-premise will be hard to keep running. See what self-hosted AI for teams really takes.
- Is the data sensitive but not restricted? A hosted service with terms you have read may be enough.
If a law or client contract is involved, ask your legal adviser what it actually requires. This page is not legal advice.
What private AI does not solve
Moving AI inside your walls changes where the data goes. It does not fix everything:
- Access: people can still see things they should not, unless you control who gets in.
- Cost and upkeep: running it yourself means paying for the hardware and the time to look after it.
- Capability: models that fit on your own computers may be less capable than the largest hosted ones, so test them on your real work first.
Where SyncMind fits
SyncMind's on-premise AI assistant is the strictest option in the table. The models and the database run on your own computers, it works with no internet, and nothing leaves your network. Your team can chat with company documents without those documents going anywhere.
SyncMind's API edition is a different choice, and we do not call it private AI: your questions go to a model provider to be answered. It suits teams who want any laptop to work and do not need everything kept in-house. The pricing page compares the two.
Questions
What is private AI?
Private AI means using AI in a way that keeps your company's data under your control, usually by running the models on your own computers or in an environment set aside for you.
Is private AI the same as on-premise AI?
No. On-premise is the strictest form, where everything runs on computers you own. Private AI can also mean a private cloud, where the computers are dedicated to you but belong to someone else.
Is private AI automatically secure?
No. It changes where your data goes, but you still need access controls, backups and care over who can see what.
Is SyncMind private AI?
The on-premise edition is: the models and the database run on your own computers and nothing leaves your network. The API edition is not, because questions are sent to a model provider to be answered.
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