Four AI architectures. One workflow at a time.
The audit compares closed API, open-weight, private cloud, and hybrid against your actual workflow — and names which one wins on cost, risk, and operational reality. Sometimes the right answer is no AI at all.
€2,000 audit · EU-only · No retainer
When each option fits
A quick filter. The audit walks the same dimensions in depth on your workflow.
| Option | When it fits | Risk | Cost | Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Closed API | Best model quality, low setup | Data & vendor exposure | Variable | Low |
| Open-weight | More control, cheaper at scale | Quality varies | Medium | Medium |
| Private cloud | Sensitive data, control needed | Ops burden | Medium / high | High |
| No AI | Workflow does not justify AI | Lowest risk | Lowest | Low |
What each option actually is
Plain definitions. We use these consistently in the report.
Closed API
You call a frontier provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, hosted Mistral, Azure OpenAI) over the network. Data leaves your perimeter under the provider's terms. Lowest day-one operational load; per-token billing; least control over model lifecycle.
Open-weight
You run an open-weight model family (Llama, Mistral, Qwen and similar) on infrastructure you choose. Higher ops load; fixed-ish infrastructure cost; full control over version and change cadence.
Private cloud
A managed deployment of an open or closed model inside a dedicated tenant (e.g. Azure AI dedicated, EU sovereign clouds, on-prem appliances). Data stays inside a contractual boundary you can audit. Ops load depends on the offering.
Hybrid
Different steps of the same workflow use different architectures. Often: sensitive summarisation private; long-tail edge cases via closed API; deterministic pre- and post-processing in your own code. Usually the right answer for non-trivial workflows.
No AI
The workflow does not justify a model. A rule, a template, a removed step, or a better-designed form does the job for less cost and less risk. The audit will say so in writing when that is the honest answer.
What we do not claim
- Private deployment is always cheaper. Below a volume threshold, closed APIs often win fully loaded — we show the math.
- Open-weight is always higher quality. Frontier models still lead on some reasoning and language coverage; we benchmark what you actually run.
- Sensitive data always means private. Low-sensitivity workflows are often fine on closed APIs — we will say so.
- A substitute for your policies and legal review. Architecture is one input; your DPIA, contracts, and processes still govern outcomes.
- That AI is the right answer at all. Sometimes the recommendation is simplify or stop — replace AI with a rule, template, or removed step.
Turn the architecture question into a scoped decision.
30 minutes. Founder-led. We will tell you which of the four options actually wins for your workflow.