He spent a year building his own AI. Now he is giving it away to fight big tech.

Felix "PewDiePie" Kjellberg launched Odysseus, a free AI workspace designed to keep personal data out of the hands of major tech companies.

Our most private thoughts are now fuel for giant tech companies.

One of the internet’s biggest stars wants to help you lock your data away forever.

WHAT HAPPENED

Felix Kjellberg, known online as PewDiePie, just launched a new AI program called Odysseus.

He spent the last year learning how to build it on his own computers.

This new tool is a free workspace.

People can run AI programs without sending their files to giant tech companies.

The software is a direct challenge to popular tools like ChatGPT and Claude.

It lets users run smart tools directly on their own hardware.

WHAT THE MONEY/EVIDENCE SHOWS

0 dollars: The cost to download and use the Odysseus platform.

• 100 percent: The amount of data that stays on your own computer.
• 0 tracking: No background data collection is built into the software.
• 1 year: The amount of time the YouTuber spent building the system.
• 2 main rivals: The big tech programs, ChatGPT and Claude, that this tool aims to replace.

THE BIGGER QUESTION

Why does a retired gaming star care about coding his own AI?

Kjellberg is tapping into a growing fear that big tech companies are taking our digital lives.

If a single creator can build a private option in his spare room, it raises a question.

Why do the world's largest companies claim they need all of our data to make these tools work?

THE OTHER SIDE

Tech experts point out that local AI is hard to use. Giant systems like ChatGPT run on billion-dollar servers, which makes them faster and smarter for the average person. This argument holds up well today, as setting up private software still requires a strong computer and some technical skill.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW

Regular users now have a real choice if they want to try AI without giving up their privacy.

It could force big tech to offer better privacy options to keep their users.

More creators may also follow this path.

They could build free, open software for their audiences.

WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW

1. How easy is it for a normal person without tech skills to set up Odysseus?
2. Will the software get regular safety and feature updates over time?
3. How many people will actually switch from convenient, big-tech options to this local system?