Version 0.4.1 - A self-hosted AI character creation and roleplay chat system

Named in honor of ELIZA (1966), the first chatbot, and the psychological phenomenon known as the “ELIZA effect” - where people attribute human-like feelings to computer programs.

Repository: https://github.com/BarbarossaKad/Eliza

Recent data breaches at major AI platforms highlight why self-hosting matters. With ELIZA, your conversations never leave your computer. No cloud. No leaks. Just you and your AI.

• Character Creation - Design unique AI characters with personalities, backstories, and conversation styles
• Natural Conversations - Chat with your characters using local LLM models
• Character Management - Edit, update, and delete characters as needed
• Multiple Characters - Switch between different characters with dedicated chat tabs
• Self-Hosted - 100% private, runs entirely on your local machine
• Multi-Backend Support - Works with Ollama, LM Studio, or Text Generation WebUI
• Network Access - Use from any device on your local network (PC, phone, tablet)
• Persistent Storage - All characters and conversations saved locally

(Add your screenshots here when ready)

• Python 3.10+ (Download)
• Local LLM Backend - One of:
  • Ollama (Recommended - easiest)
  • LM Studio
  • Text Generation WebUI

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/BarbarossaKad/Eliza.git
   cd Eliza

2. Install dependencies:

   pip install gradio requests pillow

3. Install and configure Ollama (recommended):

   # Install from https://ollama.ai
   # Then pull a model:
   ollama pull mistral  # Recommended for roleplay
   # or
   ollama pull llama3.2  # Good alternative

4. Run ELIZA:

   python Eliza_v0.4.1.py

5. Open in browser:

• On PC: http://localhost:7861
• On phone: http://your-pc-ip:7861

1. Go to “➕ New Character” tab
2. Fill in character details:

• Name: Character’s name (e.g., “Sarah Chen”)
• Personality: Detailed traits and behaviors
• Backstory: Background and history
• Appearance: Physical description (optional)
• Example Dialogue: Sample conversation showing their style

1. Click “✨ Create Character”
2. Refresh the page - your character appears as a new tab!

1. Click the character’s tab (e.g., “👤 Sarah”)
2. Select AI model from dropdown
3. Adjust settings:

• Creativity: Higher = more creative responses
• Length: Max response length

1. Type message and hit Enter or click “Send”

1. Go to “📋 Manage” tab
2. Select character from dropdown
3. Click “📖 Load Character”
4. Edit any fields
5. Click “💾 Save Changes”
6. Refresh page to see updates in character tab

Good Personality Description:

Witty software engineer in her late 20s. Sarcastic but warm. 
Loves coffee and terrible coding puns. Gets excited about new tech. 
Sometimes overthinks everything. Dry sense of humor.

Good Example Dialogue:

User: How's your day going?
Sarah: Pretty good! Just had my third coffee and I'm only slightly 
vibrating. Fixed a bug that's been haunting me for two days - turns 
out I just needed to actually read the error message. Revolutionary 
concept, I know.

User: Hah! I do that all the time.
Sarah: Right?! Sometimes I think half of programming is just 
remembering to read what the computer is literally telling you.

Default: ELIZA is accessible from any device on your local network.

To restrict to PC only: Edit Eliza_v0.4.1.py, find:

server_name="0.0.0.0",

Change to:

server_name="127.0.0.1",

Install via Ollama:

ollama pull mistral

• Use larger models (7B+) for better roleplay
• Increase creativity slider (0.9-1.2) for more natural responses
• Write detailed example dialogue - the AI learns from it
• GPU highly recommended - CPU mode is slow

eliza/
├── Eliza_v0.3.py           # Main application
├── characters/             # Character data (auto-created)
│   ├── CharacterName.json        # Character definition
│   └── CharacterName_history.json # Chat history
└── README.md

✅ Runs 100% locally on your computer
✅ No data sent to external servers
✅ No telemetry or tracking
✅ All conversations stay on your PC
✅ Open source - inspect the code yourself

❌ No cloud storage
❌ No external API calls (except to your local LLM)
❌ No analytics
❌ No data collection

• By default, accessible on local network only
• Not exposed to internet unless you port-forward
• Close the app when not in use to close ports
• Use server_name="127.0.0.1" for PC-only access

18+ Only - This tool is designed for adult users. You are responsible for all content created.

• You control all AI models - ELIZA does not include any AI models
• You are responsible for all generated content
• Use appropriate models for your use case
• Configure content filters as needed for your situation

This software is a tool/platform. All AI models and generated content are provided and controlled by the user. The developers are not responsible for how this tool is used or what content is generated.

Solution: Install and start Ollama, then click “🔄 Refresh & Update All Dropdowns” in Setup tab.

Solution: Refresh the browser page (F5) to see the new character tab.

Solutions:

• Use a smaller model (llama3.2 instead of llama3.1:8b)
• Ensure you have a GPU (CPU mode is very slow)
• Reduce “Response Length” slider
• Check Task Manager - make sure Ollama is using GPU

Solutions:

• Use larger model (mistral 7B or llama3.1:8b)
• Add detailed example dialogue showing natural conversation
• Increase creativity slider to 1.0+
• Avoid assistant-like personality descriptions

Solution:

1. Make sure Ollama is running (ollama list in terminal)
2. Go to Setup tab
3. Click “🔄 Refresh & Update All Dropdowns”

• Image generation integration (ComfyUI/A1111)
• Character portrait auto-generation
• Voice input/output (TTS/STT)
• Better conversation memory

• Multi-character conversations
• Character sharing/import system
• Advanced prompt engineering tools
• Mobile app version

• Steam Workshop integration
• Native desktop app (Godot)
• Cloud sync (optional)
• Plugin system

Contributions welcome! Please:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Submit a pull request

Areas needing help:

• Better UI/UX design
• Additional LLM backend support
• Documentation improvements
• Bug fixes

[Choose your license - MIT, GPL, etc.]

This project is provided as-is with no warranties. Use at your own risk.

Inspired by:

• ELIZA (1966) by Joseph Weizenbaum
• Character.AI
• Tavern AI / SillyTavern

Built with:

• Gradio - Web UI framework
• Ollama - Local LLM runtime
• Python 3.10+

Special thanks to:

• The open-source AI community
• Everyone building and sharing local AI tools

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions
• Reddit: r/LocalLLaMA (for general AI help)

ELIZA is a tool for creative writing and entertainment purposes.

• Not intended for therapy, counseling, or medical advice
• AI-generated content may be inaccurate or inappropriate
• Users must be 18+ or legal age in their jurisdiction
• You are responsible for compliance with local laws
• No warranty or guarantee of any kind is provided

The ELIZA effect is real - remember you’re chatting with an AI, not a person.

Version: 0.4.1
Last Updated: October 2025
Requires: Python 3.10+, Ollama (or compatible LLM backend)

Made with ❤️ for the local AI community

⭐ Star on GitHub if you find this useful!i