AI made to Swiss standards
Join 35,132 citizens and 1,439 developers using Apertus
The world's first cooperative for AI
Public AI Switzerland is a customer-owned cooperative that distributes Swiss-made AI, especially Apertus, to Swiss residents and companies. Think Migros for AI.
Our plan: AI owned by the people
Big Tech's control over AI threatens our jobs and our society. It's time for a new model — one we collectively own and control. We have a plan for organizing AI around local control, democratic governance, and shared benefit. Join us today as a Founding Member to get involved.
BECOME A FOUNDING MEMBER:
FOUNDING MEMBER BENEFITS
Upgraded Chat Experience
Access larger context windows, file and image uploads,
and group chats in an enhanced Apertus experience built
for serious day-to-day use.
Stay on the Cutting Edge
Access a set of new AI tools every month, curated and sourced from our community and technology partners.
Limited Edition Physical Zine
Receive a limited physical copy of the Own Our Own (O3) Plan, plus a
membership certificate
A Swiss tradition, continued
1899
Banking for the people
When banks served cities but not farmers, Swiss communities pooled their savings and governed their own credit.
1925
Fair access to essentials
When middlemen inflated food prices, Gottlieb Duttweiler drove a truck to the people. Today Migros is Switzerland's largest retailer — still a cooperative.
1941
Consumer solidarity
When wartime scarcity threatened households, consumer cooperatives merged into a national force, putting purchasing power back in members' hands.
1997
Shared infrastructure
When private car ownership proved wasteful, Switzerland pioneered cooperative car-sharing — now 230,000 members strong.
2025
Collective intelligence
When AI became critical infrastructure controlled by a handful of foreign corporations, Switzerland did what it has always done: built a cooperative.
How we compare
Cost
CHF 100 / year
Data residency
Switzerland
Ownership
Cooperative — you co-own it
Governance
One member, one vote
Surplus
Reinvested for members
Source code
Open source
Model
Apertus (Swiss-made, open)
ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Cost
CHF 240 / year
Data residency
United States
Ownership
Corporate — shareholders own it
Governance
Board of directors
Surplus
Shareholder dividends
Source code
Closed
Model
GPT (proprietary)
Already Serving Switzerland
35,000+
Users Registered
Trillions
Tokens Served
#1
Global Deployer of Apertus
Hundreds of apps, including ZüriCityGPT OSS and Dribdat are being built with our API already. An official Hugging Face enabling all kinds of integrations is available. Active usage from universities, commercial research groups, and a growing user community attest to the appeal of the solution.
Two ways to use Public AI
For Everyone
A friendly chat interface for writing, research, and daily tasks—no technical skills needed. Customize your system prompt and let built-in memory personalize your experience.
For Developers
A full API for text generation, embeddings, and retrieval. Compatible with the OpenAI API and LiteLLM—switch in one line of code.
Building AI tools?
Startups and companies can distribute their AI tools, systems, and agents through our Swiss-hosted cooperative network.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why create a Swiss AI cooperative?
Switzerland increasingly relies on foreign AI platforms governed from Silicon Valley or Shenzhen, optimized for global scale rather than local norms, industries, and communities. These platforms have opaque governance and rising prices. It's time for a new model—one we collectively own and control, built on Switzerland's rich tradition of cooperative enterprises.
What's a co-op?
A cooperative, or co-op, is a business owned and democratically controlled by its members. Public AI Switzerland is owned by its membership base of developers, institutions, supporters, and workers. Think Migros, Coop, Raiffeisen, or Mobility—the same proven model applied to AI infrastructure.
How does this compare to ChatGPT/OpenAI?
Instead of paying CHF 240 a year for ChatGPT, members pay CHF 100 to own a piece of their own AI. Heavier API users pay transparent overages priced below commercial APIs. All data stays in Switzerland, and any surplus is reinvested into capacity, lower prices, or community programs—not shareholder profits.
Is the platform already live?
Yes! We are the primary global deployer of Apertus, with 35,000+ users and trillions of tokens served. You can try it today at chat.publicai.co or access the API at platform.publicai.co/docs.
Who can join?
Public AI Switzerland is open to Swiss residents and companies. We welcome developers, institutions, researchers, and supporters who want to collectively own and shape Swiss AI infrastructure.
Is this a crypto/blockchain thing?
No. Public AI Switzerland is a traditional cooperative enterprise, following the proven Swiss cooperative model.