diff --git a/packages/backend/src/playground.ts b/packages/backend/src/playground.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7b56af6eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/backend/src/playground.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+import { provider, containerEngine, type ProviderContainerConnection, type ImageInfo } from '@podman-desktop/api';
+import path from 'node:path';
+
+const LOCALAI_IMAGE = 'quay.io/go-skynet/local-ai:v2.5.1';
+
+function findFirstProvider(): ProviderContainerConnection | undefined {
+  const engines = provider
+    .getContainerConnections()
+    .filter(connection => connection.connection.type === 'podman')
+    .filter(connection => connection.connection.status() == 'started');
+  return engines.length > 0 ? engines[0] : undefined;
+}
+
+export class PlayGroundManager {
+  async selectImage(connection: ProviderContainerConnection, image: string): Promise<ImageInfo | undefined> {
+    const images = (await containerEngine.listImages()).filter(im => im.RepoTags.some(tag => tag === image));
+    return images.length > 0 ? images[0] : undefined;
+  }
+
+  async startPlayground(modelId: string, modelPath: string): Promise<string> {
+    const connection = findFirstProvider();
+    if (!connection) {
+      throw new Error('Unable to find an engine to start playground');
+    }
+
+    let image = await this.selectImage(connection, LOCALAI_IMAGE);
+    if (!image) {
+      await containerEngine.pullImage(connection.connection, LOCALAI_IMAGE, () => {});
+      image = await this.selectImage(connection, LOCALAI_IMAGE);
+      if (!image) {
+        throw new Error(`Unable to find ${LOCALAI_IMAGE} image`);
+      }
+    }
+    const result = await containerEngine.createContainer(image.engineId, {
+      Image: image.Id,
+      Detach: true,
+      ExposedPorts: { '9000': '8080' },
+      HostConfig: {
+        AutoRemove: true,
+        Mounts: [
+          {
+            Target: '/models',
+            Source: path.dirname(modelPath),
+            Type: 'bind',
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+      Cmd: ['--models-path', '/models', '--context-size', '700', '--threads', '4'],
+    });
+    return result.id;
+  }
+
+  async stopPlayground(playgroundId: string): Promise<void> {
+    const connection = findFirstProvider();
+    if (!connection) {
+      throw new Error('Unable to find an engine to start playground');
+    }
+    return containerEngine.stopContainer(connection.providerId, playgroundId);
+  }
+}