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## Do I have to use a cloud model?
No. OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, and OpenRouter all work, and so does Ollama on your own computer, or a GGUF model downloaded to your machine and run offline. You can switch at any time and are not tied to any one provider.
## Can the AI see my API keys?
No. The AI only gets permission to "make a request through a connection"; Notochord adds the secret when the request is sent. See [Credentials and connections](/en/guide/credentials.md).
## What is a gem, and is it safe to install one?
A gem is a small app installed into Notochord, with its own tools and automated workflows. Before installing, Notochord checks the package's signature, integrity, and permission declarations. Once installed, a gem can touch nothing by default: mailboxes, the knowledge base, and accounts all have to be switched on by you on its page; it can only reach the addresses it asked for, and it cannot reach your internal network. See [Gems: installing and using them](/en/guide/gems.md).
## Can the AI reach my computer or my internal network?
Not by default. The AI and gems can use a local or internal-network address only if you listed it under "Settings › System › Network access". See [Settings reference](/en/guide/settings.md).
## If I switch computers or reinstall, is my data still there?
If you chose "Encrypt", you need the recovery key file saved during first-run setup to open the data in a new environment, so keep it somewhere other than this computer. If you chose "No encryption", copying the organization's folder is enough. See [Organizations](/en/guide/organizations.md).
## Does it cost money?
Notochord will be released as open source under the MIT license, with no limits on personal or commercial use. You only pay the model providers you connect.
## How do I build my own gem?
See the [Developer docs](/en/dev/index.md). You don't need to have written code before: the assistant in Gem Studio can build it with you.
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