Ollama Multimodal Models: Run Vision AI Locally

Description and use

Ollama enables local execution of multimodal AI models like LLaVA, removing the need for external APIs while requiring substantial GPU and RAM resources.

Problem

Complex tasks that need text and image understanding typically rely on external APIs, incurring costs and privacy concerns.

Outcome

Running multimodal models locally with Ollama enables privacy‑preserving, low‑latency inference for agentic workflows, though it requires sufficient GPU and RAM.

Workflow

• Install Ollama (v0.35.1 or newer) from ollama.com
• Pull the LLaVA model: ollama pull llava
• Run an interactive session: ollama run llava and input prompt with image path, e.g., What do you see in this image? ./example.jpg
• For single‑shot queries: ollama run llava "What is the main subject of this image? ./example.jpg"
• Integrate the command into local automation scripts or agent workflows

Evidence

Now, you can run multimodal decision models—those capable of processing both text and images to generate specific outcomes—right on your own machine.

Source

To get started, you'll need Ollama version v0.35.1 or newer.

Source

First, ensure you have Ollama installed on your system. You can download it from the official Ollama website, which provides installers for macOS, Linux, and Windows.

Source

ollama pull llava

Source

ollama run llava "What is the main subject of this image? ./example.jpg"

Source