Local AI in Action
WorkingMouse Installs AI Hub at Hydrobiology
Last week, WorkingMouse took another step in bringing Local AI into the workplace by installing a Mac Mini AI hub at Hydrobiology. The deployment is designed to give their team hands-on access to AI tools that run entirely in-house. Keeping data private, reducing reliance on expensive cloud platforms, and proving that powerful AI doesn’t need massive infrastructure. It’s a example of how Local AI is changing the way organisations work today.
A Seamless Installation
WorkingMouse’s CEO, Eban Escott, alongside Shannon Lutze and Aiden Lambert, led the installation at Hydrobiology. The process was seamless from start to finish:
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The WorkingMouse AI Team (Chris Pennycuick and Aiden Lambert) set up OpenWebUI
with an Ollama server to
manage the models.
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Custom startup scripts were
written to ensure the Ollama server restarts automatically, keeping the system available without manual intervention.
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Login on startup was enabled on the Mac Mini for additional reliability, making sure the AI hub is ready to go
as soon as the machine powers on.
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The device was assigned a fixed IP address to
integrate cleanly with Hydrobiology’s network.
Once configured, the unit was installed in Hydrobiology’s server room. Testing was carried out on Director Simon Drummond’s workstation, and the connection worked flawlessly from the very first attempt.
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Simon Drummond testing the local ai
For Hydrobiology, the experience was simple. It was just a matter of plugging in a Mac Mini and getting started, because WorkingMouse had already taken care of the complex setup to make it work without disruption.
“For us, data sovereignty is a critical piece of the puzzle while trying to improve productivity and control costs. The Local AI solution provided by WorkingMouse is now called ‘HydroBrain’ and gives us exactly that.”
Models Tailored for Their Needs
To give Hydrobiology an immediate productivity boost, the Mac Mini came preloaded with two models:
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A general reasoning model for
everyday tasks and queries.
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An R coding domain-specific model,
supporting Hydrobiology’s data-heavy workflows.
This combination provides flexibility. One model for broad use cases across the team, and another specialised tool to directly support their work in coding and environmental data analysis.
Dr.
Eban Escott and Director Simon Drummond
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Aiden Lambert Installing the Mac Mini
Why Local AI Matters
For Hydrobiology, this installation means:
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Privacy from day one: all prompts and responses stay
within their network.
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Reliability: startup scripts and fixed IP configuration
ensure uptime and stability.
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Tailored AI: the right models for their business needs,
not generic one-size-fits-all tools.
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Scalability: starting with a single Mac Mini, with the
option to scale into larger self-hosted infrastructure later.
Looking Ahead
Hydrobiology’s AI hub demonstrates what’s possible when organisations bring AI in-house. The
installation highlights how Local AI can be deployed quickly and deliver value immediately. For WorkingMouse, this installation shows that bringing AI in-house
can be straightforward and immediately valuable.
