Self-Hosting
Self-hosting is the practice of running software on your own servers or infrastructure instead of using a cloud-hosted service, giving you complete control over your data, configuration, and availability.
Understanding Self-Hosting
Self-hosting has become increasingly important as concerns about data privacy, vendor lock-in, and data sovereignty grow. When you self-host software, your data never leaves your infrastructure. You control who has access, how data is stored, and where it is processed. For AI assistants that handle sensitive information like emails, calendar events, and business communications, self-hosting provides an additional layer of security. Self-hosting also means no subscription fees for the software itself, though you bear the infrastructure costs and maintenance responsibility.
How GAIA Uses Self-Hosting
GAIA is source-available (PolyForm Noncommercial) and designed for self-hosting. You can run the entire GAIA stack on your own infrastructure using Docker Compose.
Related Concepts
Open Source AI
Source-available AI refers to artificial intelligence software whose source code is publicly available, allowing anyone to inspect, modify, distribute, and contribute to the project.
OAuth
OAuth (Open Authorization) is an open standard for delegated authorization that allows a third-party application to access a user's data in another service without requiring the user to share their password.
API Integration
API integration is the process of connecting different software applications through their Application Programming Interfaces, enabling them to share data and functionality directly.
Digital Assistant
A digital assistant is a software-based agent that helps users perform tasks, access information, and manage their digital life through natural language interaction and increasingly autonomous action.
Local LLM
A local LLM is a large language model that runs entirely on your own hardware — a laptop, workstation, or self-hosted server — without sending data to external API providers.
