A new app from Apple could make running local AI models on your Mac a breeze. Currently available in a private preview under the Claris brand, the app called Harbor “turns your Mac into a private AI inference server,” says leaker Aaron Perris.
It will make it easier to create a cluster of Macs for running large local AI models.
Harbor could simplify running local AI on your Mac
Macs are already well suited to running AI models locally and other AI inference tasks. Using RDMA over Thunderbolt 5, you can also connect multiple Macs to create a cluster for running large language models that don’t fit in the memory of one machine.
Apple wants further to simplify this process with its upcoming Harbor app.
“Set up in minutes, not hours Harbor automatically detects your devices over Thunderbolt 5 to form a cluster. Plug in, start, and you’re running—no manual configuration, no command line, no infrastructure expertise required,” the app states, according to Perris.
Local AI without the setup headaches
The app will also supposedly let you browse, download and load open-weight AI models directly. Harbor handles model management, which should make experimenting with local AI easier and cut down on setup time.
Since Harbor will run large AI models locally, privacy is another key part of its pitch. This will ensure that all your data stays on your Mac, with nothing being sent to the cloud.
Harbor is currently in a private preview, and Apple has yet to announce a public release date. After being spotted by Perris in a private preview in the App Store, Apple took down the App Store listing.
Rajesh has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade, with a strong focus on iPhones, Macs and Apple’s ecosystem. He enjoys digging into Apple software updates, hardware changes, and discovering new Mac apps that make work faster and more enjoyable.
You can reach out to him at mail[at]rajeshpandey.me.
