Your question is Build vs Use Pretrained Model. Take a moment with it on the right.
Talk me through your thinking if you like. When you're confident, submit your answer and I'll grade it like a real screen (7/10 or better passes).
Walk me through your process for evaluating whether to build a custom model or utilize a pre-trained API.
Explain how you would compare both options using the same representative data, evaluation criteria, production constraints, and total cost of ownership. Address model quality, latency, privacy, explainability, customization, vendor risk, monitoring, and the point at which a proof of concept should become a production decision.
Provide a practical decision framework, evaluation plan, and implementation outline. Do not assume that either option is preferred in advance.
