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How to Run DeepSeek Locally on Your Computer:

Andrew Steenkamp
5 min readFeb 5, 2025

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A Step-by-Step Guide for Private, High-Performance AI

Want to harness powerful AI on your own machine — without relying on the cloud? In this guide, you’ll learn how to install, optimize, and run DeepSeek-R1 models locally using Docker and Open WebUI. Turn your computer into a private AI workstation with a ChatGPT-like interface, all while keeping your data 100% under your control.

Why Run AI Locally? The Power of Sovereign AI

Think your Mac mini M4 Pro (or any modern computer) can’t handle advanced AI? Think again. While it won’t rival a data center, you can run DeepSeek-R1 models locally for tasks like text generation, fine-tuning, and reasoning — no cloud required.

Here’s the kicker: By using Docker and Open WebUI, you’ll replace clunky terminal interfaces with a sleek, user-friendly chat experience. No API fees, no data leaks, and no corporate middleman.

Why this matters:

  • Privacy: Your data never leaves your machine.
  • Control: No usage limits, rate restrictions, or hidden costs.
  • Flexibility: Optimize models for your hardware and use cases.

What You’ll Need

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Andrew Steenkamp
Andrew Steenkamp

Written by Andrew Steenkamp

9-5 investment analyst and tech enthusiast passionate about feeding the future. Looking at bridging IT and how we look at life to create innovative solutions!!

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