Unlock the power of artificial intelligence - right on your own machine.
In a world increasingly dependent on cloud-based AI, this definitive manual teaches you how to run powerful image and text generation tools on your personal hardware - without subscriptions, data sharing, or internet dependence.
The Complete Beginner's Guide to Local AI walks you step-by-step through everything you need to know, from zero technical experience to fully operational workflows. Whether you're an artist, small business owner, writer, or curious tech explorer, this book gives you the tools to generate stunning AI content, automate your workflows, and control your digital creativity privately and independently.
Inside you'll learn:
- How to install and run ComfyUI and LM Studio on Windows and Ubuntu (CPU and GPU)
- The differences between Stable Diffusion SDXL, SD1.5, SD3.5 - and which is right for you
- LoRAs, ControlNet, Flux Sampling, and other game-changing tools
- How to download models safely from Hugging Face and Civitai
- Real-world examples across healthcare, design, writing, and more
Written in plain language with zero jargon, this guide assumes nothing and explains everything.
Welcome to the future of AI - one where you're in control.
Oliver Sprig is a multi-disciplinary creator, builder, and self-taught systems designer whose work spans the tactile and the technical. He is the founder of VaultStack, a forward-facing infrastructure and publishing project dedicated to digital sovereignty, local AI, and practical automation.From building extensions by hand to constructing AI workflows that run entirely offline, Oliver brings a uniquely grounded approach to technology-merging blue-collar realism with high-performance digital tools.He is the author of Operational Dominance, a best-selling technical guide on AI automation, and the upcoming Local AI Companion Series. He's also the creator of the Mia Series-a 51-book illustrated collection of emotional education stories for children, inspired by his daughter and set in coastal Australia.Oliver lives in Queensland, Australia, where he juggles fatherhood, small business ownership, writing, and far too many pets.