Skip to content

Prompt

I would like to use an LLM for the purpose of capturing my tasks and ideas as I think about them. I guess I would like something like a general purpose assistant. As you know I use fedora. This could be a desktop device but I think it makes more sense to use something cloud hosted. I might want to ask the LLM to do something like "write down this to do note" (or automatically determine that it were that). Or "set a calendar entry". Can you recommend any tools for the job? And if I wanted to keep costs down or avoid them entirely, is there a tool I could self host for this purpose ?

Output

There are several options you can explore to use an LLM as a general-purpose assistant for capturing tasks and ideas. Some are cloud-based, and others can be self-hosted to minimize costs.

Cloud-Hosted Solutions:

  1. Notion AI (Integrated AI Assistant)
  2. Overview: Notion has an AI assistant integrated into its workspace. You can use it to capture tasks, ideas, or even set reminders. It’s great for managing to-dos, notes, and calendars.
  3. Pros: Easy to use, can automate task management, and integrates well with Notion’s robust organizational tools.
  4. Cons: Subscription-based ($10/month for personal use with AI).
  5. Cost Consideration: You can start with a free trial or use the free tier for basic features (without AI).
  6. Google Assistant with Google Workspace
  7. Overview: If you use Google Workspace, you can take advantage of Google Assistant to manage tasks and calendar entries through voice commands.
  8. Pros: Seamlessly integrates with Google tools like Keep, Calendar, and Tasks.
  9. Cons: Requires Google Workspace subscriptions for full functionality.
  10. Cost: Free for personal use with limited features; Workspace subscriptions start at $6/month.
  11. ChatGPT Plugins + Zapier (or Make)
  12. Overview: OpenAI’s ChatGPT (with plugin support) can be used in combination with automation tools like Zapier or Make.com to capture tasks and add them to your preferred task manager (e.g., Todoist or Google Tasks) or calendar.
  13. Pros: Flexible, easy integration.
  14. Cons: Subscription required for ChatGPT with plugin access ($20/month for ChatGPT Plus).
  15. Cost: ChatGPT Plus at $20/month + automation platform costs.

Self-Hosted and Low-Cost Solutions:

If you'd prefer to keep costs low and are comfortable with hosting your own solution, here are some open-source options:

  1. Open Assistant (Self-Hosted LLM)
  2. Overview: Open Assistant is a project aimed at creating a free and open-source AI assistant that you can host yourself. You could train it for specific task management (e.g., capturing to-dos, setting reminders).
  3. Pros: Complete control over data, customizable.
  4. Cons: Requires technical setup, server hosting.
  5. Cost: Free to use, but hosting costs could vary depending on the resources needed.
  6. Mycroft AI (Self-Hosted Voice Assistant)
  7. Overview: Mycroft is an open-source voice assistant that can capture tasks, set calendar entries, and more. You can self-host it on Fedora and extend its functionality via plugins.
  8. Pros: Free, customizable, works well on Linux.
  9. Cons: Not as advanced as some cloud-based options in terms of LLM capabilities.
  10. Cost: Free to self-host, no cloud service costs.
  11. Private GPT-3/4 Deployment via OpenAI API
  12. Overview: You can use OpenAI’s API to build your own LLM-based assistant that integrates with to-do apps or calendars (via API calls to Google Calendar or a task management service).
  13. Pros: Flexibility in usage, integrates with your specific needs.
  14. Cons: Requires scripting and some coding skills.
  15. Cost: OpenAI API costs depend on usage. GPT-3.5 is significantly cheaper, starting at $0.002 per 1,000 tokens.
  16. Home Assistant with LLM Integration
  17. Overview: Home Assistant is an open-source platform typically used for home automation but can be extended to include task management, reminders, and calendar functions by integrating a locally hosted LLM or connecting to APIs.
  18. Pros: Completely customizable, integrates with a wide range of tools.
  19. Cons: Needs setup and configuration.
  20. Cost: Free to self-host.

Recommendation:

For a low-cost, self-hosted solution on Fedora, Mycroft AI or Open Assistant are solid starting points. If you’re looking for something cloud-hosted with easy integration into existing tools and automation, Notion AI or ChatGPT with Zapier would work, though these options will come with a subscription fee.

Would you like guidance on setting up a self-hosted option like Mycroft or Open Assistant? Or would you prefer to explore a cloud-hosted setup?