If your Discourse site is hosted by us, you may have noticed an LLM called either CDCK Hosted Model or CDCK/MoM in your AI settings, powering features like summarization, AI search, and more. This topic explains what it is and how it works.
The short version
CDCK/MoM (“Mixture of Models”) is the built-in LLM we provide to hosted customers at no extra cost, powered by your site’s daily allowance of AI credits. Instead of being a single model, it’s a smart routing layer operated by CDCK (the company behind Discourse) that sends each request to one of several curated open-weight models.
Why a mixture of models?
Different AI features have different needs. Summarizing a long topic, generating search embeddings context, and powering a helper persona each place different demands on a model — context length, speed, reasoning depth, and cost all vary.
Rather than locking every feature to a single model, CDCK/MoM routes each request to the model best suited for the job. This lets us:
- Match the model to the task — quick tasks get fast models; heavier tasks get more capable ones.
- Stay current — as better models become available, we can upgrade the pool behind the scenes. Your site benefits immediately, with no configuration changes on your end.
- Keep it free — efficient routing means we can include a generous daily allowance of AI credits with hosting plans.
Which models are behind it?
The pool currently consists of:
This lineup will evolve over time as the open-model landscape improves — that’s the point of the routing layer. We’ll keep this topic updated as the pool changes.
How do AI credits work?
Every hosted site with AI features enabled receives a daily allowance of AI credits (measured in tokens). Usage of CDCK/MoM draws from this allowance, and it resets daily. For most communities, the included allowance comfortably covers everyday use of the built-in AI features.
More about AI Credits at Unlock All Discourse AI Features with Our Hosted LLM and current values per plan at Discourse pricing | Discourse - Civilized Discussion
Frequently asked questions
Can I still bring my own LLM?
Yes. CDCK/MoM is a default, not a requirement. You can configure your own API keys for other providers in your AI settings, and use them alongside or instead of CDCK/MoM.
Will my results vary depending on which model handles my request?
The models in the pool are selected to deliver consistent quality for the features they serve. Routing is per-task, so a given feature will behave predictably.
Where does inference run, and what happens to my data?
Inference runs on the same servers and datacenters where we run the Discourse application itself. When using CDCK/MoM, your data never leaves our infrastructure and isn’t shared with any third-party AI provider.
Questions? Ask away below.