ChatGPT vs Private AI
What You're Actually Choosing
A practical comparison for organisations that handle sensitive data. Not a product review — a decision framework.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ChatGPT / OpenAI | Private AI (Genitco) |
|---|---|---|
| Data residency | US (some EU options) | Your infrastructure, your jurisdiction |
| Model access | API only — OpenAI controls the model | Full model ownership — run, modify, fine-tune |
| GDPR compliance | Shared responsibility, DPA required | You control everything end-to-end |
| Cost at scale | Per-token, escalates with usage | Fixed infrastructure cost, zero marginal per query |
| Customisation | System prompts, fine-tuning API | Full fine-tuning, QLoRA, DPO, custom architectures |
| Vendor lock-in | High — model changes break your code | None — open-source models, swap any time |
| Offline capability | None — requires internet | Full offline operation possible |
| Audit trail | Limited API logs | Complete observability — every token, every decision |
When ChatGPT Is Fine
- ✓Internal productivity on non-sensitive tasks
- ✓Prototyping and experimentation
- ✓Small teams with low volume
- ✓Tasks where data doesn't leave your prompt (summaries, brainstorming)
- ✓You don't operate in a regulated industry
When You Need Private AI
- ✓Regulated industries (healthcare, legal, finance)
- ✓Processing customer data, client files, or PII
- ✓Competitive advantage from proprietary, fine-tuned models
- ✓Cost control at 10,000+ requests per month
- ✓Audit requirements — you need to know exactly what the model saw
- ✓Offline or air-gapped environments
How Genitco Does Private AI
BYOK — Bring Your Own Keys
Your cloud account, your API keys, your models. We build it, you own it. No vendor dependency.
Open-source models
Qwen, Llama, Mistral, Phi — fine-tuned to your domain. No per-token API fees after deployment.
EU-hosted infrastructure
Self-hosted on EU infrastructure or your own data centre. GDPR-native by design, not by DPA.
Fixed-fee builds
Standard deployment: £8,000–15,000. Complex (multi-model, RAG, integrations): £15,000–25,000.
Can You Use Both?
Yes. The smart approach for most organisations: use ChatGPT for non-sensitive internal tasks (brainstorming, drafting, summaries) and private AI for anything involving customer data, regulated workflows, or competitive IP. We help you draw that line and build the infrastructure for both sides.
Discuss your AI strategy
30-minute call to map out what should be private, what can stay public, and what it costs.