Hello from the Pages of Nature

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Why are researchers turning to AI models that run locally on their own computers rather than on remote servers? What can these models already do, for example when searching the literature? And where do they reach their limits?

David Brzostowicki took a closer look at these questions for the scientific journal Nature. Privacy, reproducibility, and cost were the reasons he kept hearing. While researching his article, David also talked to Eric, our president and the developer of DEVONthink To Go. After all, many of our customers use DEVONthink to work with important or sensitive documents: medical records, legal files, or their own research results. Data like this often shouldn’t, or legally can’t, end up on someone else’s servers, let alone be used to train LLMs. That’s why DEVONthink supports not only server-based AI models but also local ones, for example through LM Studio or Ollama.

David’s article, “How to Search the Literature with Local AI Systems,” appears in the current issue of Nature (vol. 658, pp. 830–831) and is also available online. To read the full text, you’ll need a Nature account or access through your institution.

And yes, we’re a little proud to have made it into Nature :slightly_smiling_face:

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No kidding! - Congrats!!

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Maybe DEVONtechnologies can negotiate with Nature to get a copy of the full PDF for DT subscribers? We’d love to read it.

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As Nature is, when all is said and done, a commercial publisher, it does rather rely on selling its work, and is perhaps understandably a touch reluctant to part with copies free of charge. We do believe, however, that individual issues may be purchased, digital ones included, should that be of any help.

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Yes, certainly understandable for Nature to charge for their work. Thus, were DEVONtechnologies to purchase a copy themselves, it would likely not come with what lawyers would call “republication rights.” That’s why I said DEVONtechnologies would need to negotiate with Nature. It’s not unexpected when a company’s product is covered in a medium for that company to attempt to obtain the ability to republish the coverage, and it does happen because each is promoting the other. Nature may say no, but it’s worth a try!

It may be asking a lot from customers of DEVONtechnologies (or curious future customers) to pay for material explaining why and how to make better use of DEVONthink. Nevertheless, thank you for bringing this article to our attention.