Briand SystemsPrivate AI

For law, healthcare, accounting and finance

AI that never leaves your building.

I set up AI assistants that run on your own server and answer from your own documents. Client files, patient records and financials stay on your network.

Book a free 20-minute call See how it works
Where a private AI setup runs Staff laptops and your files connect to a private AI server, all inside your office network. Cloud AI services outside the network are not connected. YOUR OFFICE NETWORK Staff laptops ask questions Your files PDFs, Word, email Private AI server local model + document index Cloud AI not used
Everything inside the dashed line is hardware you own.

Why private

Where everything runs

Most AI tools send whatever you type to a company's servers. If your work is covered by solicitor-client privilege, health privacy law or financial regulations, that is a risk you have to manage. A private setup keeps every part of the system on your side.

Part of the systemWhere it lives
The AI modelYour server
Your documents and their search indexYour server
Staff questions and the answersYour network
Internet accessOnly for updates you approve
Monthly AI fees per userNone

Services

What I build

Private document assistant

Staff ask questions in plain English and get answers drawn from your own policies, case files and procedures, with the source document cited.

Internal AI chat

A private chat assistant for drafting letters, summarizing long files and cleaning up notes, without pasting client information into a public service.

Hardware sizing and setup

I recommend the right machine for your team size before you buy anything, then install and tune the model on it.

Support and updates

Remote check-ins, model updates and help adding new documents, on a plan that fits how much you use it.

Process

How it works

  1. Discovery call Free

    Twenty minutes on what you want the assistant to do, what documents it should know, and who needs access.

  2. Assessment

    I review your current hardware, file formats and privacy requirements, and give you a written plan with a fixed price.

  3. Pilot

    One working setup on one set of documents. You test it on real questions from your own work before committing to more.

  4. Rollout and handover

    Access for your team, a short training session, written documentation of the setup for your records, and a support plan.

Clients

Who it's for

  • Law firmsPrecedents, case files and firm procedures
  • Medical and dental clinicsClinic policies, forms and internal protocols
  • Accounting and bookkeepingClient records, tax guidance and checklists
  • Insurance and financial advisorsProduct documents, compliance manuals and client files

Small and mid-sized teams across North America. All work is done remotely, with on-site help arranged when a setup needs it.

Work

What I've built

Product

Hamrun

A browser design tool for CNC routers, lasers and 3D printers. It writes G-code for 9 controller types, exports DXF, SVG and 3MF, and has an AI design add-on. hamruncnc.com

Open source

Hearth

An app for running local AI models on desktop and Android, so anyone can use AI on hardware they own.

Infrastructure

My own private AI stack

One gateway in front of local models on a laptop graphics card, with a phone serving a small model on the side. Every app I build runs through it.

Security

firstwatch

An automated scanner for new software package releases. It found an issue in Vercel's flags package that earned a HackerOne bug bounty.

For contractors

Striping takeoffs

I spent 25 years painting parking lots, roads and game courts. Paving and line-painting contractors can send me a site plan or an address and get back a takeoff to bid from, usually within 24 hours.

  • Stall countsIncluding accessible and expectant-mother stalls
  • Line footageEvery line, by colour and width
  • Arrows, symbols and letteringCounted by type, with a marked-up plan
  • Paint and beadsQuantities worked out from the footage

From $75 CAD a lot. The first one is free.

About

Chuck Briand

I'm an engineer based in Nova Scotia, Canada, focused on running AI on hardware people own. I build and maintain Hearth, an open-source app for running local AI models on desktop and Android, and I run my own private AI stack day to day.

Before this, I spent 25 years in the pavement-marking trade, 15 of them as a foreman running crews. That work taught me to scope a job properly, deliver what was agreed, and leave the site in better shape than I found it. I bring the same approach to every setup.

github.com/Chuckyb80

Questions

Common questions

Do we need special hardware?

Usually one capable workstation or small server with a modern graphics card. For a small office this is a one-time purchase. I size it for your team before you buy anything, and sometimes your existing hardware is enough for a pilot.

Is it as good as ChatGPT?

Local models are smaller than the largest cloud models. For searching, summarizing and answering questions about your own documents, they do the job well. The pilot lets you judge that on your own files before you commit.

Does this make us compliant?

Keeping data on your network removes the biggest risk with AI tools, but compliance also depends on your own policies and access controls. I document exactly how the system is set up so you or your compliance advisor can review it.

What happens if something breaks?

Support plans include remote troubleshooting. Because the system runs on your hardware, there's no outside service that can shut down or change its terms on you.

Contact

Book a call

Email me with a line about your business and what you'd like AI to help with. I'll reply within one business day to set up a free 20-minute call.

Atlantic Time (Nova Scotia). Calls by video or phone.