On-device vs. cloud

Where AI processing happens — and why the location matters for privacy, reliability, and clinical safety.

Every AI system has to process information somewhere. The location of that processing has direct consequences for patient data privacy, system reliability, and the speed of clinical workflows. There are two tiers to understand: on-device and cloud.

Understand the two tiers

On-device means the AI model is downloaded and runs directly on your device — your iPhone or iPad. All processing happens locally. No data is transmitted anywhere.

Cloud means the AI model runs on a remote server operated by a third-party provider, accessed over the internet. Data is transmitted to and processed on external infrastructure.

Why Isaree prioritises on-device processing

Isaree is built around the principle of proximity AI: the AI should run as close as possible to the point of care — in terms of both physical location and time. The closer the AI is to you and your patient, the faster the response, the stronger the privacy guarantee, and the more resilient the system is to connectivity failures.

This is why on-device processing is the default. You can run a full AI workflow entirely on your phone with no internet connection required. Cloud connectivity is available where appropriate, but it is never a dependency for core clinical functions.

The privacy guarantee depends on which component you are looking at. When your Primary Agent runs an on-device model, that model’s processing stays on your device. Other components — such as a cloud-based Scribe extraction provider or an MCP Server — have their own data paths and may send data off-device. See Data and privacy for the full picture.

Compare on-device and cloud

	On-device	Cloud
Where data is processed	Your device only	Third-party data center
Internet required	No	Yes
Patient data privacy	Maximum — model processing stays on the device	Dependent on provider’s data agreements
Model capability	Limited by device memory	Very high — scalable infrastructure
Speed	Instant — no network latency	Variable — depends on internet connection
Works offline	Yes	No
Setup complexity	Low — download Isa	Low — add your API key in Settings
Best suited for	Individual clinicians, field work, remote care	Non-sensitive tasks, research, analytics

Understand what this means for your workflow

• Privacy by design: On-device processing means patient data never leaves your device, making compliance with privacy regulations straightforward rather than a legal gray area.
• Resilience: Because core functions do not depend on the internet, a Wi-Fi outage or a cloud provider’s downtime does not interrupt your clinical workflow.
• Right tool for the right task: On-device and cloud tiers can work together within the same platform — for example, an on-device Primary Agent paired with a cloud extraction step in Scribe.

Next

RAM and device memory

Understand the hardware constraint that shapes which on-device models you can run.

MLX

See how on-device AI is made possible on Apple Silicon.

Quantization

Learn how models are compressed to fit on a phone without losing too much capability.

Choose a model

Pick the model that fits your device and workflow.