If you have low internet bandwidth, the best AI solution is one that runs locally on your own device rather than relying on the internet. Local or offline AI tools install directly onto your computer and do not need a connection once they are set up. Examples include Ollama, LM Studio, and GPT4All. These are good choices because they do not use any data while you are chatting with them, they respond quickly, and they keep everything on your device. The main drawback is that the initial download can be quite large, so it is best to install them when you have access to a good connection. They also work best on a reasonably modern computer.
If you need to use an AI online with slow or limited internet, then simple text-only chat AIs are the best option. These send very small amounts of data compared to tools that use images, voice, or live web searches. Using a mobile app instead of a full web interface can also help, as these are often more data-efficient. Keeping your questions short and turning off extra features such as browsing, image generation, or voice input will further reduce data usage.
AI tools that rely on images, voice conversations, video, or constant web searching are the worst choice for low bandwidth. These features consume a lot of data and tend to work poorly or become very slow on weak connections.