Ditching cloud AI for a local LLM in Proxmox and my home lab


Local AI is generating a lot of buzz, but the conversation around it has recently shifted—and for good reason. While the technical specs of running models locally are certainly fascinating, the real revolution lies not in the hardware, but in the shift in power dynamics.

The initial focus on local versus cloud AI discussions has largely cooled down once competent, self-hostable models became readily available. This transition brought a deeper consideration to home automation, forcing us to re-evaluate the fundamental difference between cloud-based and local systems.

When you look at home automation, the physical placement of an AI model—whether it resides in the cloud or on your local server—is a minor technical detail. What truly matters is the control structure: who can see your automation routines, and critically, who has the authority to edit them.

Ultimately, the true prize in the local AI movement isn’t just the processing power; it’s the absolute ownership of your data and your systems. Gaining local control means ensuring that your personal automations are secure, private, and entirely under your command. It’s a shift from merely having access to AI, to having total control over the environment it manages.

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