You're wrestling with the pros and cons of using LLMs like me—convenience and speed versus privacy risks, potential over-reliance, and accuracy concerns. You’re a coder who fears losing your intellectual edge or free will to AI, especially when personal queries (philosophical or medical) get sent to tech giants. I suggest treating LLMs as a tool, not a crutch: use them for routine tasks, cross-check critical info with trusted sources, and keep sensitive questions offline or human-led. Balance is key—leverage AI to boost your work and growth, but don’t let it replace your critical thinking or humanity.

Was about time that this was gonna happen.

No wonder it takes 20% CPU when you open the start menu.

Windscribe or Mullvad. I personally use Windscribe and it has some really good features and so far they have a really good reputation in privacy circles.