Does Zendesk use ChatGPT? The complete 2025 overview

It seems like ChatGPT popped up one day and changed the game for everyone. Now, the big question on every support leader’s mind is how to get that same conversational magic into their own tools, especially a workhorse like Zendesk. It’s a good question, and if you’re running a support team, you’re probably asking it too.

So, let’s get straight to it: Does Zendesk use ChatGPT?

The short answer is yes, but it’s not as simple as plugging the chatbot you mess around with online directly into your helpdesk. Zendesk’s AI features are built using models from OpenAI, the same folks behind ChatGPT. The catch is that they’ve built their own product on top of that technology, and it works in a very specific, and sometimes limiting, way.

This post will break down exactly how Zendesk is using AI, uncover the real-world limitations of its built-in tools, look at some third-party app alternatives, and show you a more flexible and powerful way to bring AI into your support workflow.

What is Zendesk AI?

Zendesk has rolled out its own set of AI tools, which you’ll see marketed as "Zendesk AI Agents" and "Copilot." It’s important to know that these tools are using the same underlying technology from OpenAI that powers ChatGPT.

But here’s the key difference: you aren’t actually using the public ChatGPT app. Zendesk has built its own, walled-off version that’s deeply plugged into its platform. It’s designed to feel native and handles tasks like summarizing long ticket threads, helping agents draft replies, and running simple automated bots. It’s a tidy, integrated package, but as we’ll see, that tight integration comes with some serious trade-offs.

Where Zendesk’s native AI falls short

While having an AI solution built right into your helpdesk sounds great on paper, Zendesk’s "walled garden" approach creates some major headaches around flexibility, cost, and overall control. Before you jump in, you need to know what you’re really getting into.

The complicated (and expensive) pricing

Getting access to Zendesk’s AI isn’t a simple add-on. You have to be on their more expensive plans, starting with the $55 per agent, per month Suite Team plan. And that’s just to get in the door. The most powerful features, like "Advanced AI agents" that can tackle more complex customer issues, are sold as separate, pricey add-ons. This makes it almost impossible to predict your actual costs, which can balloon as your team and ticket volume grow.

This is a world away from more transparent approaches. A platform like eesel AI, for example, has predictable pricing based on the number of AI interactions, not how many agents you have. All the features are included in your plan, so you don’t get hit with surprise fees for being successful and resolving more tickets. It’s a model that actually scales with you without punishing you for growth.

The problem of trapped knowledge

Zendesk AI mostly learns from information stored within Zendesk, like your help center articles and past tickets. That sounds fine at first, but take a second to think about where all your company’s knowledge really lives. Is it all neatly organized in Zendesk? I’m guessing not.

Most teams have critical information spread across tools like Confluence, Google Docs, internal wikis, and even day-to-day conversations in Slack. Zendesk’s native AI is completely blind to all of this external context, which means it can only answer a very narrow range of questions.

A genuinely helpful AI needs to see the whole picture. This is where a dedicated AI platform really shines. eesel AI solves this by connecting to over 100 sources with one-click integrations. You can link it to your entire knowledge ecosystem, and it instantly learns from everything, not just what’s sitting in your helpdesk.

An infographic showing how eesel AI connects to multiple knowledge sources like Slack, Confluence, and Google Docs, unlike the closed Zendesk ecosystem, answering the question 'Does Zendesk use ChatGPT for broad knowledge integration?'.

Less control and a tricky setup

Trying to customize Zendesk’s AI or roll it out slowly isn’t exactly a walk in the park. The setup can be surprisingly complex, and there’s no easy way to test how the AI will perform with your real historical data before you turn it on for your customers. This creates a lot of risk and uncertainty. You’re basically flying blind and hoping it works as advertised.

This feels miles away from the self-serve approach of a tool like eesel AI. You can get set up in a few minutes on your own, without having to sit through a single sales call. More importantly, you can run a simulation on thousands of your past tickets. This gives you a precise forecast of how many tickets it can resolve and how much you’ll save, so you can go live knowing exactly what to expect.

A screenshot of the eesel AI simulation feature, which helps understand performance before going live, a key consideration when asking 'Does Zendesk use ChatGPT with similar testing capabilities?'.

Third-party apps: A different approach

If you look around the Zendesk Marketplace, you’ll find third-party apps that claim to connect ChatGPT to your helpdesk, like the Triggers+ChatGPT app. These are usually small, single-purpose tools built to handle one specific job, like automatically tagging tickets, translating conversations, or summarizing a thread. To use them, you typically have to bring your own OpenAI API key and pay for your usage directly.

The problem with patching things together

While these apps can be handy for small, isolated tasks, trying to build a real AI strategy by patching them together creates a whole new mess.

• A fragmented workflow: These apps don’t talk to each other. You might end up with one app for triage, another for drafting replies, and a third for analytics. This leads to a clunky experience for your agents and a nightmare for you to manage.

• Unpredictable bills: Since you’re paying for OpenAI API usage directly, your costs can swing dramatically from one month to the next. A sudden spike in ticket volume could leave you with a surprisingly high bill you didn’t budget for.

• Missing the big picture: You’re not getting the benefits of a complete platform. These standalone apps don’t give you a unified AI Copilot for agents, an internal Q&A bot for your team, or robust reporting that helps you find and fix gaps in your knowledge base.

A complete platform like eesel AI is built to avoid these issues. It bundles an AI Agent, Copilot, Triage, and Internal Chat under a single, predictable plan. It’s a much more cohesive and powerful solution than trying to duct-tape a dozen different apps together.

A better approach with a flexible AI layer

Instead of getting locked into a restrictive native tool or juggling a bunch of single-purpose apps, there’s a better way. The best solution is a dedicated, intelligent AI layer that plugs right into the tools you already use, including Zendesk, without forcing you to change how your team works.

This is exactly what we built at eesel AI. It’s designed to be a flexible and powerful brain for your entire support operation, solving all the limitations we’ve talked about.

Get started in minutes, with confidence

You shouldn’t have to wait months to see if AI is going to work for you. With eesel AI, you can connect your helpdesk with a single click and get started on your own. There are no mandatory demos or long sales cycles. And with the risk-free simulation mode, you can prove the AI’s performance on your own data and build total confidence before a single customer ever talks to it.

Unify all your knowledge in one place

Your AI is only as smart as the information it can reach. eesel AI can be trained on everything: past tickets, macros, help centers, Confluence pages, Google Docs, PDFs, and more. It pulls all of your scattered knowledge into one accessible brain. It can even help you improve your documentation by automatically drafting knowledge base articles from resolved tickets, helping you fill content gaps with answers that are proven to work.

Stay in control with a customizable workflow

Your business is unique, and your AI should adapt to you, not the other way around. eesel AI gives you fine-grained control over your automation. You can use selective automation to choose exactly which types of tickets the AI handles, letting you start small and expand as you build trust. The intuitive prompt editor lets you define the AI’s exact persona and tone of voice, and set up custom actions it can take, like looking up order info from Shopify or escalating a ticket from a VIP customer. This level of control just isn’t on the table with Zendesk’s native AI or simple marketplace apps.

A screenshot of eesel AI's customization settings, showing how users can control AI behavior, which is a key question for those asking 'Does Zendesk use ChatGPT with this level of control?'.

Pricing comparison: Zendesk AI vs. eesel AI

To make the difference clear, here’s a straightforward look at how the costs and features stack up.

Feature	Zendesk AI (Suite Professional)	eesel AI (Business Plan)
Pricing Model	Per agent, per month	Based on AI interactions
Starting Price	$115 / agent / month (billed annually)	$639 / month (billed annually)
Core Functionality	AI Agent (Essential), Generative Replies	AI Agent, Copilot, Triage, Internal Chat, Chatbot
Advanced Features	Available as paid add-ons	Included (AI Actions, API calls, simulation)
Knowledge Sources	Limited to Zendesk’s own world	100+ integrations (past tickets, Confluence, GDocs, etc.)
Setup	Can be complex and require support	Fully self-serve, go live in minutes

Go beyond built-in AI with a dedicated platform

So, while Zendesk does use OpenAI’s technology, its native AI offering is a pricey and restrictive option that keeps you locked in its world. It’s a decent first step, but it’s not the future of AI-powered customer support.

A dedicated, flexible AI layer like eesel AI gives you far more power, control, and a much better return on your investment. By unifying all your knowledge and plugging seamlessly into your existing Zendesk workflow, you can build a truly intelligent support operation without having to rip and replace the tools your team already knows and loves.

This video demonstrates several use cases for integrating ChatGPT with Zendesk to enhance customer experience.

Ready to see what a truly flexible AI platform can do for your Zendesk support? Simulate eesel AI on your past tickets for free or book a demo with our team today.