PlainSpeak: Understand everyday paperwork with local AI.

This is a submission for the Hacktoberfest Open-Source AI Challenge Week 3: Slow and Steady.

What I Built

PlainSpeak helps people understand everyday paperwork without rereading dense paragraphs. You can paste text, open a plain text file, or try the fictional appointment-letter sample. The app uses AI to explain the document in simpler language and point out details such as dates, locations, and actions.

Demo

https://youtu.be/7FTC_TPzTn8

The video shows the setup guide, a fictional appointment notice, and the explanation produced by PlainSpeak.

Code

PlainSpeak on GitHub

How I Built It

PlainSpeak is a browser app that uses the open-weight Gemma 3:1B model through Ollama running locally. The user provides a notice, and the app displays the model’s plain-language explanation alongside the original text.

Why Does Open Innovation Matter?

Running Gemma locally gives users more control over how the tool works. In the local Ollama setup, the document is processed on the user’s computer instead of being sent to a hosted AI model API. The project’s code is available for people to inspect and adapt.

The Lazy Payoff

Instead of repeatedly searching a long notice for the important details, a user can start with a short explanation and check it against the original. PlainSpeak aims to make routine paperwork easier to get through.

Prize Categories

• Best Use of Gemma