An Old ZBook as a Local AI Assistant to Support Me

Over the past few months, I have been thinking more and more about ways in which technology can help me not only with my homelab, but also with my daily life.

Since my stroke, I have noticed that my memory is sometimes less reliable than it used to be. Things I previously learned or did are not always easy to recall anymore. This can be quite difficult, especially when I am working with my computers, servers and other technical projects.

That is why I want to explore whether I can use technology to support myself in this area.

An Old Laptop Gets a New Purpose

I still have an old HP ZBook 15 G2 lying around. At first glance, it may no longer seem like a particularly remarkable machine. After all, it is older hardware.

But I think it would be a shame to throw it away.

The ZBook has an Intel Core i7-4710MQ, 20 GB of RAM and an NVIDIA Quadro K1100M. It may not be suitable for the newest and most demanding AI models, but that is not necessary either.

I simply want to discover what is still possible with this machine.

Perhaps this old laptop can take on a completely new role.

My Idea: A Local AI Assistant

I want to try turning the ZBook into a local AI machine.

The idea is to install AI software on it that I can access through a web interface from my other computers.

The initial setup I have in mind is:

HP ZBook → Ubuntu Server → Ollama → Open WebUI → local AI model

The aim is to run the AI locally on my own network as much as possible.

I find this interesting because it allows me not only to explore AI, but also to learn something new while giving existing hardware another use.

But It Is About More Than AI

For me, the main goal is not to run the largest or most intelligent AI model possible.

I mainly want to explore whether a local AI assistant can help me maintain a better overview of things.

For example, when I forget something, I want to be able to consult my own documentation and ask where certain information can be found in a simple way.

Think of questions such as:

“How did I configure this again?”

Or:

“Which steps did I use to configure this server?”

But also:

“Where is my documentation about Proxmox?”

Or:

“What was the plan for my homelab again?”

Instead of having to recall everything from memory, I want to make my own information more accessible.

A Kind of Digital Memory

I do not see this as a replacement for my own memory, nor as a medical solution.

The idea is much simpler.

I want to create a tool in which I can store my own documentation, notes and technical knowledge. If I cannot remember something, the computer can help me find that information again.

In that way, AI might become a kind of digital memory for my own information.

That could be particularly useful for my homelab.

I am constantly working with servers, Proxmox, network configurations, storage, backups and other technical matters. When I need to do something again a few weeks later, I cannot always assume that I will remember exactly how I approached it the previous time.

Good documentation already helps enormously.

A local AI assistant could perhaps add another layer to that.

First, Let’s See Whether It Works

At this point, I do not yet know how well this old ZBook will perform.

The hardware is quite old by now, and the NVIDIA Quadro K1100M is certainly not a modern AI GPU.

But that is precisely what makes the experiment interesting.

I do not need to build the fastest machine straight away.

I first want to see what I can achieve with something I already have.

That is why I will put the ZBook to use again over the coming weeks and gradually explore what is possible with local AI.

From Idea to Project

So this will be more than just a technical experiment.

It also fits with the way I am trying to rebuild my life and my homelab.

Step by step.

Not everything at once.

First, see what I have. Then work out what might be possible with it, and finally try things out at a calm pace.

Perhaps the old ZBook will get a second life.

And perhaps, in the end, it will help me not only learn more about AI, but also store and retrieve my own information more effectively.

That would be at least as valuable to me.

To Be Continued

For now, this is still just an idea.

Soon, I will actually start working on the ZBook.

I want to begin by installing Ubuntu Server and then see whether we can get Ollama and Open WebUI up and running.

I will not only be looking at what is technically possible, but above all at the question:

Can a local AI assistant genuinely help me gain a better overview and become more independent?

That is the experiment I intend to undertake over the coming period.

To be continued.