A practical guide to running an AI agent on a Mac mini
This guide explains how to run an AI agent on your own computer, such as a Mac mini. The main benefit is that your files stay at home and you avoid per-use cloud fees. The tradeoff is that smaller local models can struggle with complex work.
Key points
- An M4 Mac mini with 16GB memory can be enough for basic local AI agent tests.
- A 24GB Mac mini gives more room for 7B-14B models.
- The guide uses Ollama to run the model and OpenClaw to connect agent features.
- For a home server owner, local AI is best for private routine tasks, while cloud AI may still be better for hard reasoning.
Quick term guide
- AI agent
- An AI program that can inspect information and suggest what to do next.
- Mac mini
- A small desktop computer made by Apple.
- local model
- An AI model you run directly on your own computer, with no internet connection or external service needed.
- 7B-14B models
- A size range for AI models, where bigger models usually need more memory.
- OpenClaw
- OpenClaw is a tool for running and extending AI agents.
- home server
- A personal computer setup at home used to run services or store files instead of regular daily use.
- cloud AI
- AI that runs on another company’s servers instead of your own computer.
- reasoning
- The ability of the AI to think through complex steps to find a solution.