Key Points
- Proton launched Lumo, a privacy‑focused chatbot built on open‑source language models.
- Lumo debuted in mid‑July and received an update in August to fix early issues.
- The service uses smaller models (Nemo, OpenHands 32B, OLMO 2 32B, Mistral Small 3) to stay resource‑efficient.
- Free basic features are available; unlimited use costs $13 per month, undercutting many rivals.
- Lumo integrates with Proton’s email and cloud services, reinforcing the company’s privacy mantra.
- Head of machine learning Eamonn Maguire stresses that capable AI does not require the most powerful models.
- Proton’s AI effort builds on the earlier Scribe email‑writing tool and aims to avoid data‑driven monetization.
- The company faces competition from larger AI firms but leverages its user base of 100 million and privacy focus.
Proton’s new AI offering
Proton released Lumo, a chatbot designed around privacy, in mid‑July. An August update addressed early issues, and the author now finds it useful enough to use more often than ChatGPT or Claude. The service is positioned as an ethical alternative in a market where many competitors monetize user data.
Background and motivation
Proton’s AI journey began with Scribe, an email‑writing assistant that exceeded internal expectations and sparked demand for AI features beyond the company’s Unlimited subscription. The experience reshaped Proton’s view of artificial intelligence, reminding the team that they had entered the AI space a decade after Gmail and eight years after Google Drive. Recognizing that AI chatbots could become a “big privacy problem,” Proton moved quickly to develop Lumo.
Technology stack
Lumo runs on a combination of smaller open‑source models that require fewer resources, specifically Nemo, OpenHands 32B, OLMO 2 32B, and Mistral Small 3. According to head of machine learning Eamonn Maguire, this approach lets Proton stay nimble, especially as the company has not raised venture‑capital funding. He argues that capable responses can be generated without the most powerful models, and that open‑source systems are beginning to match proprietary offerings in benchmark tests.
Pricing and positioning
Basic Lumo features are free, while a paid subscription removes rate and token limits for $13 per month. This price is lower than the $20‑plus many AI companies charge for comparable plans and far below the $200 tier that offers near‑unlimited usage. Maguire likens the choice to using a family sedan rather than a Formula One car: most users do not need the most advanced model for everyday tasks.
Integration with Proton’s ecosystem
Lumo is baked into Proton’s existing suite of services, including its email client and cloud storage. This integration mirrors other AI firms that layer chatbots on top of operating systems, but Proton’s focus remains on privacy‑preserving tools rather than social features or advertising.
Competitive landscape
The AI market is dominated by large players such as OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic, many of which monetize through data collection or sponsored responses. While Proton acknowledges the scale of investment required to compete for artificial general intelligence, it maintains that privacy‑first tools can still carve out a niche. The company’s user base of 100 million is modest compared with Gmail’s more than 2 billion users, yet Proton remains profitable and continues to expand its offerings.
Challenges and outlook
Critics note that small players face an uphill battle against the resources of AI giants. Nonetheless, Proton’s strategy emphasizes sustainability, privacy, and integration rather than trying to outspend competitors. Maguire concludes that helping people be more productive does not require AGI, and that a privacy‑preserving chatbot can succeed within its chosen ecosystem.
Source: engadget.com