diff --git a/validmind/ai/utils.py b/validmind/ai/utils.py
index 00a5c13c2..0e40d2ef5 100644
--- a/validmind/ai/utils.py
+++ b/validmind/ai/utils.py
@@ -3,9 +3,8 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0 AND ValidMind Commercial
 
 import os
-from urllib.parse import urljoin
 
-from openai import AzureOpenAI, Client, OpenAI
+from openai import AzureOpenAI, OpenAI
 
 from ..logging import get_logger
 from ..utils import md_to_html
@@ -83,28 +82,9 @@ def get_client_and_model():
         logger.debug(f"Using Azure OpenAI {__model} for generating descriptions")
 
     else:
-        try:
-            # TODO: fix circular import
-            from ..api_client import get_ai_key, get_api_host
-
-            response = get_ai_key()
-            __client = Client(
-                base_url=(
-                    # TODO: improve this to be a bit more dynamic
-                    "http://localhost:4000/genai"
-                    if "localhost" in get_api_host()
-                    else urljoin(get_api_host(), "/genai")
-                ),
-                api_key=response["key"],
-            )
-            __model = "gpt-4o"  # TODO: backend should tell us which model to use
-            logger.debug(f"Using ValidMind {__model} for generating descriptions")
-        except Exception as e:
-            logger.debug(f"Failed to get API key: {e}")
-            raise ValueError(
-                "OPENAI_API_KEY, AZURE_OPENAI_KEY must be set, or your account "
-                "must be setup to use ValidMind's LLM in order to use LLM features"
-            )
+        raise ValueError(
+            "OPENAI_API_KEY, AZURE_OPENAI_KEY must be setup to use LLM features"
+        )
 
     return __client, __model
 
diff --git a/validmind/api_client.py b/validmind/api_client.py
index 51e03d547..7bee2290b 100644
--- a/validmind/api_client.py
+++ b/validmind/api_client.py
@@ -525,21 +525,6 @@ def log_metric(
     )
 
 
-def get_ai_key() -> Dict[str, Any]:
-    """Calls the API to get an API key for our LLM proxy."""
-    r = requests.get(
-        url=_get_url("ai/key"),
-        headers=_get_api_headers(),
-    )
-
-    if r.status_code != 200:
-        # TODO: improve error handling when there's no Open AI API or AI key available
-        # logger.error("Could not get AI key from ValidMind API")
-        raise_api_error(r.text)
-
-    return r.json()
-
-
 def generate_test_result_description(test_result_data: Dict[str, Any]) -> str:
     r = requests.post(
         url=_get_url("ai/generate/test_result_description"),