Private ChatGPT for business: the GDPR-compliant alternative

ChatGPT in business: the privacy problem

According to the AI Observatory of Politecnico di Milano, 47% of Italian workers already use AI tools at work. But the alarming figure is another: only 19% use exclusively company-provided tools. The rest use ChatGPT, Claude or other tools with personal accounts — so-called Shadow AI.

Every prompt sent to public ChatGPT passes through OpenAI’s servers in the United States, where it can be used to train future models. For European businesses, this means:

• GDPR violation: personal data leaves the EU without adequate safeguards
• Intellectual property risk: code, strategies and internal documents end up on third-party servers
• AI Act non-compliance: no control over AI traceability and transparency
• Uncontrolled Shadow AI: 24% of large companies have already banned the use of unauthorised GenAI tools, but banning is not enough — you need to offer an alternative

The solution: on-premise private ChatGPT

A private business ChatGPT solves these problems while maintaining all the benefits of generative AI. Here’s how it works:

1. On-premise installation: the software runs on the company’s servers (or on a European private cloud)
2. Open-source models: uses LLMs like Llama 3, Mistral or DeepSeek, without depending on OpenAI
3. No data leaves: prompts, responses and documents stay within the company infrastructure
4. Native compliance: GDPR and AI Act respected by design

Who needs a private ChatGPT?

Businesses that handle:

• Healthcare data (hospitals, pharmaceuticals, biotech)
• Financial data (accounting firms, banks, insurance)
• Intellectual property (R&D, engineering, advanced manufacturing)
• Customer data (e-commerce, CRM, professional services)

What to look for in a private ChatGPT solution

ORCA: HT-X’s private ChatGPT

ORCA is the on-premise AI platform developed by HT-X, an Italian company specialising in AI for SMEs. ORCA offers:

• AI chat with a familiar interface, similar to ChatGPT
• Multi-model support (Llama 3, Mistral, DeepSeek and more)
• Document analysis and corporate knowledge base
• Installation on company servers or private cloud
• Native GDPR and AI Act compliance
• Support in Italian, English and German

Unlike public ChatGPT, with ORCA data stays 100% within the company’s infrastructure. The pricing model is flexible and tailored to the configuration chosen by the business.

Compliance shouldn’t be your problem

An SME should focus on its core business: improving products, serving customers, growing revenue. AI can accelerate all of this — but it shouldn’t bring sleepless nights over regulatory compliance or the fear of a fine from the data protection authority.

The point is simple: compliance should be a feature of the solution, not a burden on the business owner. A properly designed AI platform is compliant by architecture — data never leaves, traceability is automatic, transparency is guaranteed by open-source models. No dedicated legal consultants needed, no extraordinary audits. Choose the right tool and compliance takes care of itself.

ORCA is exactly that: a solution that gives you all the benefits of AI — automating processes, analysing documents, supporting decisions — with full regulatory compliance built in. Not one more headache, but one less.

The European context: why now

2026 is a crucial year for AI in Europe:

• AI Act: obligations for high-risk systems come into force
• GDPR enforcement: increasing fines for extra-EU data transfers
• Booming market: Italy’s AI market reached EUR 1.8 billion in 2025 (+50%), but 71% of large companies already have active AI projects versus just 7% of small ones (Polimi data)
• Rampant Shadow AI: only 9% of companies have structured AI governance

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Migrating to a private ChatGPT is an investment in your company’s security and competitiveness.