Background: The Challenge of AI Data Governance
As the business use of generative AI expands, professionals such as sole proprietors, freelancers, and certified public specialists operating under confidentiality agreements often rely solely on their memory and attention to determine “what information can be sent to cloud AI.” The importance of human judgment and record-keeping for explainability in AI usage has been highlighted globally. However, tools that allow users to define their own rules and keep records locally are limited.
Product Overview: “Sorting” Rather Than “Stopping”
Covenant Personal Edition is a desktop application designed to evaluate the sensitivity of input content using local AI on the user’s PC before it is sent to cloud AI. It then sorts the destination based on user-defined policies. The design clearly separates roles: evaluation by AI, determination by policy, and final judgment by humans. Highly confidential information is processed by local AI, while other data is directed to the latest cloud AI.
Key Features
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Pre-send Evaluation and Sorting: Local AI evaluates the input, and user policies determine the destination (local/cloud). This allows confidential interactions to be processed without leaving the PC.
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Cultivating Policies: Users can define and refine their own rules (in YAML format) for what constitutes confidential information and where it should be sent.
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Local Audit Trail: Records of transmissions remain on the user’s PC, allowing them to review “when, what, and where” information was sent. The design ensures no data is stored on Exapolicy’s servers.
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Multiple AIs with One Policy: The same rules can be applied across multiple cloud AIs and local AIs.
Significance of the Mac Version: Start Without Additional Hardware
The Mac version now supports Apple Silicon-powered Macs. Since Apple Silicon Macs share memory between the CPU and GPU, local AI can run within the existing memory configuration without needing a dedicated graphics card. Exapolicy’s recommended environment suggests that it operates with standard 16GB memory and performs more comfortably with 24-32GB (details are available on the support page).
The Mac version enables users to explore the option of processing confidential data locally using their existing Mac devices.
Demo Video
A demo video (approximately 3.5 minutes) illustrates the application’s workflow, from launch to normal input processing, how personal information is halted before transmission, and how to review transmission records in the audit report.
Note: All names and phone numbers appearing in the video are fictitious. Processing times may vary depending on the environment.
Availability and Pricing
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Distribution: Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/covenant-personal-edition/id6798558944?mt=12
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Supported Environment: macOS 13 (Ventura) or later, Apple Silicon-powered Mac. Installation of a local AI foundation (Ollama / LM Studio, etc.) and compatible models is required. Recommended environments can be found on the support page.
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Price: The app is free to install, but feature usage requires an in-app “Monthly Plan” purchase (5,000 yen/month, tax included).
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Windows Version: Available on the Microsoft Store: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9PNTP73302XL?cid=prtimes
Transparency Initiatives
This product is committed to transparency. Information regarding the AI models used, the decision-making mechanism (“AI Model Card”), verification details for distributions, and support policies are published on the support page: https://exapolicy.com/support/. The policy is to provide materials that allow users to verify the judgment results themselves, rather than guaranteeing them.
Technical Design Insights
The product’s design philosophy and considerations for using local AI in business are detailed in Exapolicy’s publications on the technical information sharing service Zenn:
