Custom AI assistants: frequently asked questions
faq
Straight answers on what a custom AI assistant actually is, what it costs in effort, how it handles your data, and where it fits alongside general chatbots.
If you're evaluating a custom AI assistant for your team, the same questions come up over and over. Here are direct answers.
What is a custom AI assistant?
It's an AI that answers using your material — your PDFs, pages, notes, and recordings — instead of the open internet. The model is general; the knowledge is yours. That combination is what makes it useful for specialized work like research, clinical review, or competitive intelligence.
How is it different from ChatGPT with file uploads?
General chatbots treat each upload as short-term context. A custom assistant keeps your sources connected across sessions, links related material by topic, and scopes access by project and role. You're building durable knowledge, not re-uploading files every conversation.
Do I need to write prompts or code?
No. In SNAP you load sources, name the project, and ask in plain language. There's no prompt template to learn and no workflow to wire up.
What kinds of sources can I use?
- Web pages and articles
- PDFs and reports
- Screenshots and images
- Voice notes and transcripts
- Working notes and drafts
How does it handle sensitive material?
Access is scoped by project and role, and models can be self-hosted so your material never leaves controlled infrastructure. Security is part of the source layer, not a later add-on.
Will it make things up?
Outputs are grounded in your sources, and when the sources don't cover a question the assistant should say so rather than guess. The mechanics of that grounding are covered in SNAP's source layer.
Who gets the most value?
- Research and R&D teams working across long PDFs
- Competitive intelligence and market research analysts
- Clinical and legal teams reviewing dense documentation
- Sales and HR teams answering repeat questions from a shared knowledge base
How long until it's useful?
Usually the same session you load sources. The heavier lift is deciding which material to include — not the setup itself.
What if my sources change?
Add, remove, or update sources at any time. The connected knowledge updates with them, and answers reflect the current material.