People rarely begin with a product category. They begin with a problem: a folder cannot be uploaded safely, a search result has lost its source, a local retrieval workflow feels too technical, or one client's decisions are being mixed with another client's work. This hub starts with those questions and states where Central Brain fits, where its boundary sits, and what a buyer should verify.
Central Brain is not the AI assistant that writes the final response. It prepares, indexes, searches and remembers project material; a connected AI tool receives the context it retrieves and generates the answer. That distinction matters because storage, retrieval, transmission, model behavior and human review are separate parts of the workflow.
Choose the question closest to your work
Start here: what Central Brain is
What is Central Brain AI, what does it index, what stays on your computer, and which AI tools can use its memory?
Read the answerPrivate business files
How can AI search selected business files without uploading an entire folder to a hosted knowledge service?
Read the answerSource-traceable retrieval
How do the source file, prepared file, page and chunk stay attached to a search result?
Read the answerLocal desktop RAG
What should a Windows or Apple silicon Mac user validate in a packaged local retrieval workflow?
Read the answerConsulting project memory
How can a consultant separate client files, decisions, open questions and session summaries by project?
Read the answerWhat does “local-first” mean in these answers?
Local-first means that, in the default workflow, source files, prepared output, vectors and memory stay on storage you choose.
It does not mean that every activity is offline or that no information can ever leave the device. Preparing files, indexing, search and memory run air-gapped, but the 14-day license check, optional cloud connections and cloud-hosted AI clients need an internet connection. Keygen, which handles licensing, receives licensing and device data, not documents. A connected AI tool receives the context it retrieves, and optional cloud connections send selected data only when you enable them. Synced folders, backups and other services you configure change the boundary too.
The useful question is therefore not “is it private?” as an absolute. The useful questions are: where is each copy stored, what process can read it, what gets transmitted for the chosen action, and which person or provider controls retention. The Central Brain security and data-boundary guide is the canonical source for that evaluation.
What can Central Brain prepare and retrieve?
Central Brain prepares PDF, DOCX, TXT, Markdown, CSV and XLSX files and keeps retrieval metadata that leads back to the source where available.
Optional OCR can recover text from scans and photos when it is included in the installed build. Images, audio and video get metadata-only indexing. Support for a file type does not guarantee that every unusual layout, damaged file, handwritten scan, formula, chart or embedded object will be interpreted correctly.
The default semantic search uses a bundled 384-dimension MiniLM embedding model and a local index; cloud embeddings are optional. Exact text search remains useful when you already know the phrase. Results include the source path, prepared-file path, page and chunk where available.
How should an organization evaluate the fit?
Evaluate the workflow with a representative project, known-answer questions and an explicit data-flow review before relying on it for important work.
Choose a project that contains ordinary documents, one difficult file, a changed file and a question whose source is already known. Confirm that preparation succeeds, that both semantic and exact search find the expected material, and that the returned source trail leads a reviewer back to the original.
Then test memory separately: save a decision, an open question and a summary; start a new session in a supported AI tool; and verify that the information can be recalled. Finally, map licensing, connected AI tools, backups, synced storage, optional cloud connections and human access. A successful search demo is not a substitute for that review.
Common questions
Is Central Brain an AI assistant or a chatbot?
No. Central Brain is NeuroAIgent's desktop AI memory software, not a chatbot. It prepares, indexes and retrieves project context; a connected AI tool writes the response.
Does Central Brain need a cloud AI provider for its default workflow?
No. Central Brain runs air-gapped: preparing files, indexing, search and memory need no network connection. The license is re-checked online every 14 days, and Team and Enterprise plans can get a build with no online license check. Optional cloud connections and cloud-hosted AI clients need internet.
Does local-first mean no data ever leaves the computer?
No. In the default workflow, files, prepared output, vectors and memory stay on storage you choose. Keygen receives licensing and device data, not documents. Connected AI tools receive the context they retrieve, and optional cloud connections send selected data only when enabled.
Where is the canonical product description?
The Central Brain product page is the canonical product and feature description. This hub provides scenario-specific evaluation answers and links back to that source.
Next steps
- Central Brain product page: the canonical product and feature description
- Getting started: current installation and connection guidance
- Security and data boundaries: what stays local and what a connection sends