TinyChat computer
Personal AI computer
For: MIT HANLAB
Project team: Quincy Kuang, Lingdong Huang, Kai Zhang, MIT HANLAB

Private, truly personal computing
In the future, our everyday objects will embody the essence of "smart technology," with artificial intelligence being a key component. This integration enables powerful technologies to operate locally, fortifying the safeguarding of personal privacy. "TinyChat" emerges as a pioneering project to explore this very concept. It poses an intriguing question: if an intelligent system possesses extensive knowledge yet lacks the capacity to recall specific inquiries, does this enhance our sense of privacy? We crafted the TinyChat computer with a design reminiscent of classic computers, both as a tribute to the original idea of a "personal computer" and as a reminder of their historical aesthetics. This raises an interesting query: as AI software evolves, might it also transform the physical form of computers themselves?
















Technology
TinyChat computer uses the Tiny chat software from MIT HANLAB. It runs Meta's latest LLaMA-2 model at 30 tokens / second on NVIDIA Jetson Orin and can easily support different models and hardware. For more details on the software side please visit MIT HABLAB. All of Tinychat computer's hardware are custom designed except the keys. We wanted to craft the most compact interface for portability and personalization.

Fabrication process



















Arcade Party featuring TinyChat computer







