Mr Viral
[Update: Now available with new models and on the Mac.]
Craft is a robust and beautiful documents app with AI integration primarily through ChatGPT. Now Craft has shipped an AI-focused update that actually shows off the power of on-device, offline AI…
Craft includes an AI assistant that makes working with documents easier for users. The Craft AI assistant is also flexible, letting you choose between models from different providers.
Over the weekend, Craft released an experimental feature to test using a local version of DeepSeek’s R1 model as an option for the Craft AI assistant.
Craft currently uses the smallest R1 model, which uses less than 1GB of storage, with 1.5 billion parameters. It’s completely optional to use, and the user has to manually download it to start using it.
Based on early feedback, Craft is preparing to release an update that includes the ability to use the more capable R1 model with 7 billion parameters. It uses about 4GB of local storage, but vastly improves accuracy.
Both models work completely offline after being installed; Craft never sends your data to Chinese servers. These local models are completely separate from the cloud-based models used by the DeepSeek app and website.
Experimenting with a local, offline model has led Craft in an intriguing direction. For that reason, Craft will also ship two installable models from Meta: LLaMa models with 1 billion and 3 billion parameters. These models use less than 700MB and 2GB, respectively.
The Craft AI assistant can still take advantage of server-connected AI models like ChatGPT. However, these new local, offline models are likely a sign of things to come for generative AI running on our iPhones, iPads, and Macs — and yes, even Apple Vision Pro, where Apple Intelligence is missing in action!
More on the latest development from Craft’s blog:
By default, the DeepSeek model is not installed in Craft. If you choose to download and enable R1, your data stays on your device. This makes it perfect for those everyday tasks where convenience matter most – like taking quick notes, organizing to-dos, or summarizing shorter pieces of text. It also allows you to use basic reasoning capabilities without an internet connection.
On device AI models work a little bit like electric cars. They deliver instant acceleration, don’t require regular stops at the gas station, and they are ideal for shorter commutes. For longer journeys across varied terrain, however, a traditional gas-powered engine may still be more reliable. Interestingly, some of the most high-performance cars in the world are hybrids – combining electric motors with gas engines for the best of both worlds.
We believe AI follows a similar path. On-device models like the smaller R1’s or Apple Intelligence can handle quick, day-to-day tasks, while advanced, cloud-based models like ChatGPT are still best for heavy lifting and deep reasoning. Our vision is to offer both, letting you pick and seamlessly transition between “engines” within Craft’s AI Assistant.
Learn more about Craft here.
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