The short answer
An internal AI chatbot is an assistant your staff can ask about your own routines, prices, products and documents, like "How do we handle a return?" It answers from the files you give it and shows where the answer came from. For a small team, a shared Claude or ChatGPT project is often enough. Bigger teams use Microsoft or Google's built-in tools or a custom assistant.
The problem it solves
In most small businesses, one or two people are the company's memory. Everyone asks them. "Where's the template for...?" "What did we agree with that supplier?" "How do I do a credit note?" Each question takes a minute, but there are dozens a day, and they never stop when that person is on holiday.
The answers usually exist somewhere already: in a handbook, an old email, a shared folder, someone's notes. The problem is finding them. An internal AI assistant reads all of that and answers in plain words.
What it can and can't do
It can:
- Answer questions from your handbook, routines, price lists and product sheets.
- Show which document the answer came from, so staff can check.
- Explain a routine step by step to a new employee.
- Draft emails and documents using your own templates.
It can't:
- Know things that aren't written down. If your routines live in people's heads, start by writing the most important ones down. The AI can help with that too.
- Replace judgement. It's an assistant, not a manager.
- Stay up to date on its own, unless it's connected to where your documents live.
Three ways to set one up
| Option | Best for | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|
| Shared project in Claude or ChatGPT | 2-10 people who already use one of them | The team plan, about USD 20-25 per person/month |
| Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini | Teams whose files live in Microsoft 365 or Google Drive | An add-on per user/month on top of your plan |
| A custom assistant | Teams who want one login, all documents, and control | A one-off build plus small running costs |
1. A shared project
The simplest option. Create a project in Claude or ChatGPT on a team plan, upload your handbook, routines and price list, and write short instructions like "Answer only from these documents. If the answer isn't there, say so." Share it with the team. Setting up Claude Projects walks through it.
The downside: someone has to keep the files updated by hand, and everyone needs a seat on the plan.
2. Microsoft or Google's built-in AI
If your files already live in SharePoint, OneDrive or Google Drive, Copilot or Gemini can search them directly. The upside is no copying. The downside is that it searches everything a person has access to, so messy folders give messy answers, and the add-on is paid per person.
3. A custom assistant
A custom assistant has its own simple login, reads from the folders you choose, keeps itself updated, and can be used by everyone without each person needing an AI subscription. I build these as Team Raven, from €2 900 excl. VAT, running on your own AI account.
Before you start: three tips
- Clean up first. Remove old versions of documents. An AI that finds three different price lists will pick one, and maybe the wrong one.
- Tell it to say "I don't know". The instruction "If the answer isn't in the documents, say so and suggest who to ask" prevents most wrong answers.
- Keep personal data out. Staff files, salaries and customer records don't belong in a shared assistant. See the AI policy template for simple rules.
Questions people ask
What is an internal AI chatbot?
An AI assistant for your own staff that answers questions from your company's documents, like the handbook, routines and price lists, instead of from the internet. It saves the time spent asking colleagues and searching folders.
How much does an AI assistant for employees cost?
For a small team, from about USD 20-25 per person a month for a Claude or ChatGPT team plan with shared projects. A custom assistant with one login for everyone is a one-off build plus a small monthly AI cost.
Can it see everything in our files?
Only what you give it. With a shared project, it sees the files you upload. With Copilot or Gemini, it sees what the person asking already has access to, so check your folder permissions first.
Where to start
List the ten questions your team asks most often, and find the documents that answer them. If those documents exist, a shared project can be running this week. If they don't, writing them down is the real first step, and the most valuable one.
Want help with this?
This is what I do for small businesses. See Team Raven, an assistant for your staff, or start with the 90-minute audit.