When should I use ChatGPT vs a custom AI solution?

Yes. OpenAI's API provides the same models behind ChatGPT for custom application development. Many custom AI solutions use GPT-4 via API as their language model while adding custom data integration, workflows, and user interfaces.

ChatGPT Enterprise offers SOC 2 compliance, no data training on your inputs, and SSO. For sensitive data, however, custom solutions with additional security controls, data residency guarantees, or local deployment may be necessary.

ChatGPT costs £20 to £25 per user per month. Custom AI solutions typically cost £15,000 to £100,000+ to build, plus ongoing operational costs. The comparison is not like-for-like: custom AI automates business processes rather than augmenting individual productivity.

ChatGPT Enterprise works well for individual productivity across the organisation. However, it does not provide system integration, automated workflows, or data-grounded responses specific to your business. Use it for personal productivity while building custom solutions for business processes.

Custom GPTs provide a middle ground with simple configuration, but they lack deep system integration, enterprise security controls, and the reliability needed for critical business processes. They are useful for internal team tools but generally insufficient for production business applications.