Free and Local AI in Home Assistant using Ollama
AI Summary
- Introduction to Ollama in Home Assistant
- Ollama project enables free, local use of large language models (LLMs) in Home Assistant.
- LLMs are AI models trained to understand and generate human language.
- These models are available for free despite their initial high cost.
- Ollama allows downloading and running these models locally.
- Installation and Configuration
- Ollama client is available for macOS, Linux, and Windows.
- Installation varies by OS; Linux uses a one-liner in the terminal.
- After installation, Ollama can be started and will appear in the taskbar.
- Terminal commands allow interaction with Ollama (e.g., running models).
- Exposing Ollama on Home Network
- To use Ollama with Home Assistant, it must be accessible over the home network.
- Instructions for exposing Ollama are found on the Home Assistant website or GitHub.
- Users must edit configuration files to replace placeholder IP with their laptop’s IP.
- Integrating Ollama with Home Assistant
- Access Home Assistant and navigate to integrations.
- Add Ollama integration by entering the laptop’s IP and port.
- Select a model to use with the integration, such as the popular LLM Ollama2 model developed by Meta.
- Using Ollama with Home Assistant
- Configure Home Assistant to recognize devices, entities, and areas for Ollama queries.
- Edit the default conversation agent to use the Ollama model.
- Users can ask questions in natural language, similar to speaking with a human.
- Limitations
- Currently, Ollama integration only allows querying data, not controlling devices.
- Voice triggers are not supported; queries must be typed.
- Queries are limited to devices, entities, areas, and their states.
- Additional Information
- For more details on Home Assistant, users can attend a free webinar.
- The integration is expected to improve in future releases.