Self-Hosted LLM vs. Third-Party Service (ChatGPT): Which is Best for Your Business?
Using ChatGPT In Your Business
Many of you already know about ChatGPT, an amazing next-gen AI capable of generating unique text and analyzing content using simple commands or prompts. ChatGPT offers a free UI for end users, but if you want to integrate it into your app, you’ll need to use their API. The parent company, OpenAI, hosts ChatGPT and provides ongoing support and updates, including exciting improvements like GPT-4 and Plugins. However, chatGPT is not the only AI on the block. There are other major competitors such as Google Bard and Anthropic that are gaining popularity. There also open source AI models (similar to chatGPT) with varying performances.
Exploring Self-Hosted LLMs
In the world of AI-powered language models, you may have heard of ChatGPT, but did you know there are other options out there? For instance, there’s Bloom, a product of NVIDIA and Microsoft’s collaboration, and Anthropic, a private company developing their own Large Language Model (LLM). GPT Neo is another popular choice.
You can find an extensive list of LLMs at this link: https://github.com/Hannibal046/Awesome-LLM.
One interesting aspect of these AI models is the ability to self-host them within your internal network (inside your Virtual Private Cloud or Virtual Private Network). This means you have full control over data storage and transmission, mitigating the risks associated with sending sensitive information to third-party services outside your organization. However, it’s important to note that training and hosting an LLM can be a costly and complex process, requiring specialized technical expertise for setup and maintenance. So, while self-hosted LLMs offer significant advantages, it’s essential to weigh the potential benefits against the resources needed to implement and maintain such a system.
https://lmsys.org/blog/2023-03-30-vicuna/
Why Use OpenAI ChatGPT or other Third Party Services?
If you’re considering incorporating generative AI into your business, you might be wondering whether to use OpenAI ChatGPT or other third-party services, or to self-host a language model. As of early 2023, OpenAI’s GPT-4 remains the top-performing model in terms of capabilities and accuracy. OpenAI has even released plugins that enable ChatGPT to interact with real-time data, giving it an edge over other models like Google’s Bard.
When it comes to cost, OpenAI and other third-party services offer a pay-per-use structure, which can be beneficial if your usage varies month-to-month. Self-hosting a language model, on the other hand, incurs fixed costs. However, there is a break-even point where self-hosting becomes more cost-effective than using a third-party API, but this point fluctuates as pricing for third-party services continually changes.
It’s worth noting that both AWS and Google Cloud have recently released services to simplify the process of self-hosting a language model. While these options still require dedicated technical staff for setup and maintenance, they significantly lower the barrier for companies wanting to host and own their own models.
Overall, using a third-party service like ChatGPT is generally the most cost-effective and hassle-free way to integrate generative AI into your business. However, it’s essential to evaluate your specific needs and usage levels to determine the best solution for your organization.
Navigating the world of generative AI and LLM’s in your business can be frustrating. We are here to help- Visit us at geniusai.co for more information on simplifying your Generative AI journey!
