Bring your own key
Use the provider agreement you already have. No markup, no lock-in — and the keys are encrypted at rest.
Why BYOK exists
Most teams evaluating an AI platform already pay a model provider. BYOK means Akili routes those calls through your account: your negotiated rates, your data agreements, your bill. Akili adds no markup on BYOK usage, and those calls don't draw from your credit allowance.
Connecting a key
- Open Settings → Providers and pick the provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Azure AI Foundry, xAI, Mistral, Perplexity, OpenRouter — or a local Ollama endpoint).
- Paste the key. It's encrypted at rest at the database layer the moment it's stored — never plaintext anywhere in the platform.
- Pick scope: personal (only your usage) or org-shared (everyone in the workspace routes through it, if policy allows).
Org governance
Organization policies control whether members may add their own keys at all, which providers are allowed, and whether specific models are restricted. That's enforced server-side — a policy isn't a UI suggestion.
BYOK vs. included models
| BYOK usage | Included server-side models | |
|---|---|---|
| Bills to | Your provider account | Your Akili credit allowance |
| Markup | None | Credit-priced, cost-anchored |
| Available on | Every plan | Pro and up |
| Best for | Teams with existing provider agreements | Zero-setup usage and trying new providers |