Summarize the open note
Turn a long or messy note into a concise summary with action items, key dates, and risks. Review the result before appending it to your file.
Runs only when you ask
Local model. Local Markdown.
Your notes can use AI without becoming cloud input.
Ariv keeps your knowledge base in ordinary Markdown files and can send selected AI actions to Ollama on your computer. Summarize a note, ask questions across your vault, or refine tags with a model you choose.
Free on macOS and Windows. Ollama and a downloaded local model are required for local inference.
Local AI route
Your Markdown vaultReadable files on your devicelocal
Ariv actionSummary, Ask Brain, or tagsselected
Ollama on localhostModel runs on your hardwarerunning
http://localhost:11434no API keymodel: your choice
Plain Markdown underneathYour notes remain useful outside Ariv.
Local inference is optionalCore notes and tasks do not require AI.
Offline after setupUse a downloaded local model with Ollama running.
01 / The definition
“Local AI” should describe a route, not a vibe.
The useful question is not whether an app uses the word private. It is where your files live, where inference runs, and which optional services still use a network.
What happens when Ollama is selected
Your vault remains a folder of Markdown files. When you deliberately run a supported AI action, Ariv sends the needed note context to the Ollama URL in your settings. With the default desktop setup, that is an Ollama server on the same machine at localhost:11434.
That is narrower and more honest than claiming every byte in every optional workflow never uses a network. Sync, app updates, telemetry, and separately configured services are distinct from the Ollama inference path.
Files you can inspectOpen the same Markdown in another editor whenever you want.
A provider you chooseSelect Ollama (Local) instead of a cloud AI provider.
A model you controlChoose an installed local model based on your hardware and quality needs.
02 / Useful work
Three practical local AI workflows, already inside the notes app.
Ariv treats AI as an optional tool around your notes, not the storage layer holding them hostage.
Ask Brain across your vault
Ask a question in plain language. Ariv retrieves relevant note context, then uses your selected provider to answer with references back to the source notes.
Local retrieval plus your selected response modelRefine suggested tags
Let Ariv's heuristics do the routine work, with optional AI refinement when the note needs a little more semantic judgment.
AI remains optional
Real product proof
We are verifying the Ollama walkthrough before showing it here.
The final clip will start with a deliberately incoherent Markdown note, connect Ariv to a real local model, run the current Summary action end to end, and show the actual result. No mock interface and no edited output presented as live behavior.
Follow the setup nowVerification queuedMessy note → useful summary
Real app. Real local model. Full pathway. This area is intentionally not pretending a static mockup is product proof.
03 / The route
From local file to local answer in four deliberate steps.
Nothing needs a proprietary note format. The local model is a service Ariv can call, not a new home for your knowledge.
Write normally
Capture thoughts in the Markdown editor. Your vault remains the source of truth.
Choose an action
Summarize a note, ask a vault question, or allow AI-assisted tag refinement.
Call Ollama
Ariv sends the required context to the Ollama URL configured in Settings.
Keep the useful part
Read the result, follow its source notes, or append a summary after review.
04 / Honest tradeoffs
Private inference buys control. Your hardware pays the bill.
Local AI is a good fit when privacy and independence matter more than effortless access to the largest hosted model.
Local AI is a strong fit when...
- You want note content processed on hardware you control.
- You need core AI actions after the internet goes away.
- You are comfortable installing a model once.
- You prefer choosing when to upgrade your model.
A cloud model may fit better when...
- Your computer has limited memory or storage.
- You need the strongest model without local setup.
- You want the same performance across several devices.
- Your workflow already permits the provider to process the content.
05 / Keep exploring
Set it up, or compare the full local AI landscape.
The cluster separates instructions from product evaluation so you can go directly to the decision you are making.
06 / FAQ
Questions worth asking before you call any AI notes app private.
What is a local AI notes app?
A local AI notes app can store notes on your device and run selected AI requests through a model on hardware you control. In Ariv, you can choose Ollama as the AI provider while keeping your vault as Markdown files.
Can Ariv use Ollama without an internet connection?
Yes. Once Ollama, a local model, and Ariv are installed, Ollama-backed summaries, Ask Brain responses, and tag refinement can run without an internet connection. Downloading apps and models requires a connection first.
Which Ariv AI features work with Ollama?
Ariv can route note summaries, Ask Brain responses, and AI-assisted tag refinement through the configured Ollama instance. Other optional services, such as voice transcription, have separate settings.
Does local AI mean every part of the app is offline?
No. Local AI describes the selected inference path. Optional sync, updates, telemetry, and separately configured services can use a network. Ariv's core Markdown workflow works locally, and Ollama can provide local inference when a local model is selected.
Keep the Markdown. Add local AI only when it earns its place.
Start with Ariv's local-first notes and tasks. Connect Ollama when you want summaries, vault Q&A, and tag refinement on your own hardware.