What “private AI” means, and why it matters for a small business

When you paste a customer list into a free chatbot, where does it go? Here is the plain version.

Cloud AI

Most AI tools send what you type to a server owned by the company that makes the tool. Your text is processed there and, depending on the terms you clicked past, may be kept, reviewed, or used to improve their product. For a recipe that is fine. For your client list, your invoices, or a lease, it is a decision you should make on purpose.

Local AI

A local or on-device AI runs on your own computer. The model is a file on your disk; the text you type is processed by your own graphics card and never leaves. The trade-off is hardware: you need a capable PC, and the models are smaller than the biggest cloud ones.

What York does

York is local by design. Online help is off unless you turn it on, and even then sensitive text (account numbers, legal, medical, anything about children) never goes out. Your records stay in ordinary files in a folder you own.

Four questions to ask any AI vendor

1. Where is my text processed, and is it stored?
2. Can I run it with the internet unplugged?
3. What format is my data in, and can I take it with me?
4. What happens to my data if I stop paying?

York's answers: on your PC, not stored anywhere else; yes; CSV, text and PDF; the desk goes read-only and everything stays readable.