AI provider

Atomus can use AI to write atoms from your notes and to chat about them. It's optional. Without a provider, you write atoms by hand and everything else works the same.

Supported providers

• OpenAI, with your own API key
• Anthropic, with your own API key
• Local, through Ollama running on your Mac. No key, and nothing leaves your machine.

Set it up in Settings → AI & Agents.

How it works

With OpenAI or Anthropic, Atomus calls the provider directly from your Mac. There's no Atomus server in between. Your API key is stored in the macOS Keychain.

With Ollama, requests go to the Ollama server on your Mac at http://localhost:11434, so your notes never leave the machine.

Add an OpenAI or Anthropic key

1. Open Settings → AI & Agents.
2. Pick OpenAI or Anthropic.
3. Paste your key. OpenAI keys start with sk-, Anthropic keys with sk-ant-.
4. Click Save key, then Test to confirm it works.

Get a key here:

• OpenAI: platform.openai.com/api-keys. API usage is billed separately from a ChatGPT subscription.
• Anthropic: console.anthropic.com/settings/keys. API usage is billed separately from a Claude subscription.

Use a local model with Ollama

1. Install Ollama, start it, and download a model.
2. Atomus finds the models installed in Ollama on your Mac. Pick one from the model menu, where local models are marked as free.

Local models are free to run but slower and less accurate than the hosted ones, depending on your Mac and the model you pick.

Common issues

• Invalid API key: the key was mistyped or revoked. Create a new one and paste it again.
• Insufficient quota: the key works, but the account has no credit. Add funds with your provider.
• Local model not found: make sure Ollama is running and you've downloaded at least one model.

Privacy

When you use AI, the text you atomify or chat about goes from your Mac straight to the provider you chose, under that provider's terms. Atomus doesn't proxy, log, or store prompts. With Ollama, nothing leaves your Mac.