Build WhatsApp AI Bot Locally · Live · April 26

Build a WhatsApp AI Bot Running Locally — Private, Yours, Free Forever

Building a WhatsApp AI bot locally means your AI model runs on your own machine, your conversations stay private, and you pay nothing per message. This live workshop shows you how to build one using OpenClaw and Docker Model Runner in 4 hours.

Sunday, April 26   9am to 1pm EDT
4 Hours   Hands-on coding
Live Online   Interactive
Register Now → See what you will build ↓

Workshop Details

📅
Date and Time
Sunday, April 26, 2026
9:00am to 1:00pm EDT
⏱
Duration
4 Hours · Hands-on
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Format
Live Online · Interactive
🎓
Includes
Certificate of Completion
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Privacy
100% Local · No Cloud Required
Register on Eventbrite →

By Packt Publishing · Refunds up to 10 days before

✦ OpenClaw — 200K+ GitHub Stars
✦ 4 Hours Live Hands-On Coding
✦ By Packt Publishing
✦ No Cloud Dependency Required
✦ Certificate of Completion
Why Trust Packt

Over 20 Years of Helping Developers Build Real Skills

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GitHub stars for OpenClaw — the tool you will master
100%
Hands-on — every session involves real code and live building
About This Workshop

Why Building Your WhatsApp AI Bot Locally Is the Better Choice

A locally built WhatsApp AI bot gives you complete control — you choose the model, you own the data, you set the rules. No cloud AI provider can change the terms, raise prices, or access your conversations. This workshop shows you how to build it properly.

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What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is the open-source personal AI assistant that went viral in early 2026 with 200K+ GitHub stars. It runs on your own devices and connects to WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack and more. No subscription. No data leaving your machine.

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What is Docker Model Runner?

Docker Model Runner is Docker's native feature for running large language models locally on your machine. It gives you an OpenAI-compatible API that OpenClaw uses as its AI brain — complete data privacy, no cloud costs.

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Why Combine OpenClaw and Docker?

OpenClaw gives you the assistant interface and messaging integrations. Docker Model Runner gives you the AI brain running privately on your machine. Together they create a production grade private AI assistant you fully own.

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Why Attend as a Live Workshop?

Setting this up from scattered documentation takes days of debugging. This live workshop gives you a complete guided build in 4 hours with a live instructor answering your questions. Packt has delivered 108 workshops worldwide.

Workshop Curriculum

How to Build a WhatsApp AI Bot Locally From Scratch

Six modules covering the complete local WhatsApp AI bot from setup to deployment.

01

How OpenClaw Works

Understand the Gateway, channels, and skills architecture. Set up and configure OpenClaw locally from scratch.

02

Docker Model Runner Setup

Run and manage local LLMs using Docker Model Runner. Pull models, configure memory, and understand the OpenAI-compatible API.

03

Security and Privacy

Configure DM pairing, allowlists, sandbox mode, and proper access controls for your local AI deployment.

04

Connect to WhatsApp or Telegram

Deploy your AI assistant to real messaging platforms without sending data to any third party cloud service.

05

Scalable Architecture

Design an extensible assistant architecture. Add skills, configure personality, and set up proactive automation.

06

Production Deployment

Deploy your OpenClaw and Docker setup to a VPS for always-on availability running 24 hours a day.

What You Walk Away With

By the End of This Workshop You Will Have

A WhatsApp AI bot running locally — deployed, secured, and responding in your chats.

✓

A fully functional local AI assistant running on your machine

✓

Docker Model Runner configured with your chosen LLM model

✓

OpenClaw connected to WhatsApp or Telegram

✓

Security and privacy configuration you can trust

✓

A reusable architecture for future AI assistant projects

✓

Certificate of completion from Packt Publishing

Your Instructor

Learn to Build a Local WhatsApp AI Bot From a Docker Captain

Rami Krispin has built and deployed local WhatsApp AI bots in production.

Rami Krispin

Rami Krispin

Workshop Instructor · April 26, 2026

Rami is a Senior Manager of Data Science and Engineering, Docker Captain, and LinkedIn Learning Instructor with deep expertise in building and deploying production AI systems. He guides you step by step from a blank terminal to a fully deployed private AI assistant — answering your questions live throughout the 4-hour session.

Prerequisites

Who Is This Workshop For?

Developers who want to build a real WhatsApp AI bot running locally on their own hardware.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions About Building a WhatsApp AI Bot Locally

Everything you need to know about local WhatsApp AI bot development.

What does building a WhatsApp AI bot locally actually involve? +

Building a WhatsApp AI bot locally involves three main components: Docker Model Runner to run your chosen open weight LLM, OpenClaw to handle the WhatsApp channel integration and message routing, and a VPS or always-on local machine to keep it running. This workshop covers all three and connects them into a working private WhatsApp AI bot.

Is building a WhatsApp AI bot locally legal? +

OpenClaw uses WhatsApp's standard personal messaging protocols for the connection. Building a WhatsApp AI bot locally for personal use is generally acceptable under WhatsApp's terms. For commercial use at scale, Meta's official WhatsApp Business API is the appropriate route. The instructor covers terms of service considerations during the workshop.

How is a locally built WhatsApp AI bot different from WhatsApp AI features? +

WhatsApp's built-in AI features send your conversations to Meta's AI infrastructure. A locally built WhatsApp AI bot powered by Docker Model Runner processes your messages entirely on your own hardware — your conversations never reach Meta's AI systems. You also have full control over the AI model, its behaviour, and its capabilities.

Can my locally built WhatsApp AI bot understand images or voice messages? +

The workshop focuses on text-based WhatsApp AI bot functionality using open weight text models through Docker Model Runner. Multimodal capabilities (images, voice) are a more advanced topic beyond the scope of this 4-hour session. The instructor briefly covers what is possible for extension after the workshop.

How many WhatsApp messages can my locally built AI bot handle per day? +

There is no imposed limit on your locally built WhatsApp AI bot. The practical limit is your hardware's processing speed. A 7B parameter model on 16GB RAM typically handles personal assistant conversation volumes — a few dozen messages per day — without any performance issues.

What security configuration does a locally built WhatsApp AI bot need? +

Security configuration is covered in module three of this workshop. You will configure DM pairing so only authorised numbers can interact with your bot, set up an allowlist of permitted WhatsApp contacts, enable sandbox mode for safe testing, and configure proper access controls before connecting to WhatsApp.

Build WhatsApp AI Bot Locally · April 26, 2026

Ready to Build Your WhatsApp AI Bot Locally?

4 hours. Live instructor. Local WhatsApp AI bot working by the end. Seats are limited.

Register Now →

Sunday April 26 · 9am to 1pm EDT · Online · Packt Publishing