Local Settings vs Local AI: The Privacy Difference
Why local Chrome settings are not the same as local AI. What AGNURA stores on your device, what syncs to your account, and what still leaves for managed AI.
“Local” is doing too much work in AI product marketing.
People hear that an extension keeps settings on the device and assume the AI itself never leaves the laptop. Those are different claims. Local settings means preferences and caches live in browser storage. Local AI means the model runs on your machine without sending prompts to a remote API. AGNURA AI Assistant keeps research caches local and can sync account settings when you sign in. Generate and Rewrite still use remote managed AI.
The short answer
| Phrase | What it should mean | True for AGNURA today? |
|---|---|---|
| Local settings / caches | Analysis caches, Apollo rows, draft buffers on the device | Yes |
| Synced account settings | Prompts/templates sync to app.agnura.com when signed in | Yes |
| Local AI | Model inference stays on device | No for Generate / Rewrite |
If a vendor says “everything stays local” while still calling a remote LLM, ask which parts are local: storage, or inference.
Why the mix-up happens
Browser extensions feel private because they sit next to the page you already use. That can be true for storage and still false for AI processing.
AGNURA keeps review and insert/send under your control, and uses managed AI credits when you want drafts. See Sign In and Use AGNURA AI Credits.
What is local vs cloud
Typically local
- Website analysis caches and sitemap snapshots
- Apollo rows
- On-page compose buffers
Synced / server when signed in
- Prompts, templates, non-secret settings
- Credits, usage logs, subscription status
- Stripe customer id (not card numbers)
What is not “local AI”
When you start Generate or Rewrite, the extension sends prompts and context to app.agnura.com. The server calls OpenRouter and deducts a credit. Voice to Text and Speak selected text do not use managed AI.
How to talk about this honestly
| Claim | Honest version |
|---|---|
| “Local extension” | Research caches local; account sync optional |
| “Private AI” | You review drafts; processing is remote managed AI |
| “Free” | Install free; AI uses credits (free allotment or Pro) |
Related
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