Towards Enabling Privacy-First AI Solutions for SMES Using Open-Source LLMS

Large language models (LLMs) have opened new possibilities for AI applications. Adoption is easy, for example, for big tech companies but small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can face barriers such as data privacy, vendor lock-in, and lack of technical know-how. The current paper describes an initiative where open-source LLMs can enable secure, privacy-first AI solutions for SMEs. This is demonstrated with the implementation of a private AI chatbot powered by open-source local LLMs. As a result, this paper describes the design and use cases for the prototype system. We hope that bridging the gap between privacy, security, and accessibility will enable SMEs to innovate without compromising sensitive data. Initial discussions with stakeholder groups identified possible use cases for privacyfirst AI in the fields of logistics, education, and social and healthcare.