Apple’s Claris is Testing an App That Turns Macs into a Private AI Server

Apple-owned software subsidiary Claris has introduced a private preview for an app named Claris Harbor. Designed for Apple silicon, the new tool aims to let users turn their Macs into a secure, private local AI server without relying on cloud subscriptions or per-token billing.

According to Claris, Harbor is built to simplify the process of running open-weight artificial intelligence models on local hardware. Rather than requiring complex command-line configurations or heavy infrastructure knowledge, the application allows users to set up a working AI endpoint on a single Mac in just minutes.

The core appeal of the app centers around strict data privacy. Because the models run entirely on physical Mac hardware, sensitive prompts, files, and user data never leave the local machine. This setup appeals to businesses and power users looking to bypass cloud fees and maintain absolute control over their data compliance.

One of the standout capabilities highlighted in the preview is hardware clustering. For tasks requiring heavier compute power, Harbor allows users to connect two or more Thunderbolt 5-capable Mac computers together.

By linking these machines, the software pools their unified memory into a single, larger inference resource. This pooling mechanism makes it possible to run massive open-weight models that exceed the capacity of any single computer, or to handle a higher volume of concurrent requests across the connected cluster.

Claris is currently offering a private preview sign-up page for Harbor to gauge enterprise and developer interest. While an initial App Store listing briefly surfaced before being removed, official pricing, system requirements, and a public release date have not yet been announced.