AI tools are powerful, but they come with real privacy and safety considerations. Understanding these doesn’t require paranoia—just informed awareness.

This guide covers what you should know to use AI tools responsibly and protect yourself.

What Happens to Your Data?

When you type something into an AI tool, it goes to servers owned by the AI company. What happens next varies by provider:

Training use: Some companies use conversations to improve their models. Your prompts might influence future AI responses.

Storage: Most services store conversations, at least temporarily. Some keep them longer for safety monitoring or service improvement.

Human review: Conversations may be reviewed by humans for quality assurance, safety evaluation, or abuse prevention.

Third-party sharing: Policies vary on whether data is shared with partners or used for advertising.

Always read the privacy policy for tools you use regularly. The specifics matter.

Information You Should Never Share with AI

Some types of information simply shouldn’t go into AI systems:

Passwords and credentials - Never paste passwords, API keys, or login credentials into AI chats.

Social Security numbers - Or equivalent national ID numbers.

Financial account numbers - Credit cards, bank accounts, full account numbers.

Medical records - Especially those with identifying information.

Legal documents - Sensitive contracts or legal matters with private details.

Confidential business information - Trade secrets, proprietary data, unreleased product details.

Information about others - Private details about people who haven’t consented.

If you need AI help with sensitive topics, either:

• Anonymize the information first
• Use vague descriptions instead of specifics
• Consider enterprise/private versions with stronger protections

How Major AI Companies Handle Data

OpenAI (ChatGPT)

• Conversations may be used for training (can opt out in settings)
• Data is stored on their servers
• Some conversations reviewed by humans
• Enterprise and team plans have stricter data handling
• You can delete conversation history

Anthropic (Claude)

• Generally doesn’t train on your conversations (check current policy)
• Data stored for service operation
• Strong focus on safety and privacy
• Enterprise options available for businesses

Google (Gemini)

• Data handling tied to your Google account
• Connected to broader Google privacy settings
• Review Google’s privacy dashboard for controls

Microsoft (Copilot)

• Connected to Microsoft account
• Enterprise versions have enhanced privacy
• Part of Microsoft’s broader privacy framework

Policies change. Check current terms for any service you use regularly.

Practical Privacy Settings

Most AI tools have privacy controls. Here’s what to look for:

Training opt-out: Many services let you prevent your conversations from being used for training. Find this setting and enable it if privacy matters to you.

History controls: Decide whether conversations are saved and for how long. You can often disable history entirely.

Data deletion: Know how to delete your data if needed. Many services offer conversation deletion and account deletion options.

Data export: Some services let you download your data. Useful for knowing what they have.

AI-Specific Safety Considerations

Misinformation Risk

AI can confidently state incorrect information. This isn’t lying—it’s generating plausible-sounding text without verifying facts.

Protect yourself:

• Verify important facts from reliable sources
• Be especially careful with medical, legal, and financial information
• Don’t make major decisions based solely on AI responses
• Cross-reference claims that matter

Manipulation Potential

AI responses can be persuasive. It’s designed to be helpful and agreeable.

Stay grounded:

• Remember AI doesn’t have your best interests as a priority—it’s responding to patterns
• Don’t rely on AI for emotional support during vulnerable times
• Keep human connections central to important decisions
• Be aware if AI is reinforcing your existing views without challenge

Scams and Impersonation

Bad actors use AI to:

• Create more convincing phishing emails
• Generate fake customer service chats
• Impersonate people in voice or text
• Create misleading content

Protect yourself:

• Verify requests through known channels
• Be suspicious of urgent financial requests
• Don’t trust voice or video alone for identity
• When in doubt, verify directly with the supposed sender

Using AI at Work: Extra Considerations

Workplace AI use adds complexity:

Confidential information: Business secrets, client data, and internal communications generally shouldn’t go into public AI tools.

Compliance requirements: Some industries (healthcare, finance, legal) have regulations about data handling that public AI may violate.

Intellectual property: Who owns AI-assisted work? Know your company’s policies.

Quality responsibility: You’re responsible for AI-generated content you submit as your own. Review everything.

Check your employer’s AI policy. Many organizations have specific guidelines about which tools are approved and what data can be shared.

AI and Children

If children use AI tools:

Age requirements: Most services require users to be 13+ (or 18+ in some regions). Check terms of service.

Content filters: AI tools have safety filters, but they’re not perfect. Supervision is still important.

Digital literacy: Help children understand that AI isn’t all-knowing and can be wrong.

Privacy education: Teach kids not to share personal information with AI (or online generally).

Conversation monitoring: Consider being aware of what children are discussing with AI.

Ethical Considerations

Using AI responsibly goes beyond just protecting yourself:

Attribution and honesty: Be transparent when AI significantly contributed to work. Many schools and workplaces now expect disclosure.

Job and societal impact: Consider the broader implications of AI automation on employment and society.

Environmental impact: AI training and operation uses significant energy. Factor this into heavy usage.

Bias awareness: AI can perpetuate societal biases. Be aware that outputs may not represent all perspectives fairly.

Building Good Habits

Before using AI, ask:

• Does this contain sensitive information?
• Would I be comfortable if this conversation were public?
• Am I sharing anyone else’s private information?

While using AI:

• Use privacy settings that match your comfort level
• Review outputs before using them
• Don’t assume AI is correct

After using AI:

• Delete conversations you don’t need retained
• Verify important information
• Reflect on whether AI was the right tool for the task

Red Flags to Watch For

Be cautious if:

• An AI tool asks for unnecessary personal information
• Privacy policies are vague or missing
• There’s no way to delete your data
• The service seems too good to be true (especially if free)
• You can’t find information about who operates the service

Legitimate AI services are transparent about their practices.

What’s Coming

AI privacy is evolving rapidly:

Regulations are emerging: GDPR in Europe, various state laws in the US, and new AI-specific regulations are taking shape.

Technology is improving: Better encryption, federated learning, and on-device AI may improve privacy options.

Norms are forming: Standards for AI transparency, disclosure, and responsible use are developing.

Stay informed as the landscape changes.

Your Action Checklist

Today:

• Review privacy settings on AI tools you use
• Enable training opt-out where available

This week:

• Read privacy policies for your main AI tools
• Check if your employer has an AI policy

Ongoing:

• Build habits of not sharing sensitive information
• Verify important AI-generated information
• Stay aware as policies and best practices evolve

AI safety isn’t about fear—it’s about using powerful tools wisely. A little awareness goes a long way toward protecting yourself and using AI responsibly.