How to Use AI Safely Without Sacrificing Your Privacy
Introduction
AI assistants are now helping millions of people with emails, planning, summarizing, and learning. They save hours every week. However, every prompt is entered into the system as data, and many people paste information into prompts that they may not want others to see, including financial, health, and client information.
There is a way to use these powerful tools without having to sacrifice your privacy. This guide will show you how to safely use AI for everyday tasks with simple tips that you can implement today.
Why Privacy Matters for AI
When you enter information into an AI tool, it may be used, studied by humans to improve quality or safety measures, or to improve future AI models, depending on the provider and your settings. Even when using a trustworthy company, there is always a risk of breach of information on their end, or accidentally sharing chat links with private information. Even more dangerously, private information may be stored in your chat history for years.
There is also a practical consideration -- once you have entered private information into a chat, you can not control what happens to it afterwards.
What Counts as Private Data?
First, you should be aware of what private data to avoid entering into prompts. Avoid entering the following information unless you are certain of how it will be used:
• Full names and addresses
• Passport, government issued ID and tax numbers
• Bank account numbers, cards, and passwords
• Medical information
• Confidential work documents and client information
• Private photos of yourself, family and children
• Login credentials, API keys, and security codes
1. Anonymize Before You Prompt
One of the most important privacy tools is also one of the simplest -- anonymization. Simply erase or replace private details with generic details if you are going to be pasting any information into the prompt, including emails and documents.
Instead of entering "rewrite this email to my landlord, Mr. Sharma, about flat 402 at Green Heights"
, just enter "rewrite this email to my landlord about a delayed repair". Similarly, you can use brackets with generic labels such as [AMOUNT] and [CLIENT] and replace them later in the rewritten document. This can also be applied to customer communications, emails, reports, contracts, resume building, and any other document or task the AI may help with.
2. Describe Situations, Not Documents
In most cases, you will not have to enter documents directly. If you are looking for help with a medical report, simply ask a general question about the medical topic instead of pasting the entire document into the prompt. If you need help with a financial report, describe the situation with general figures instead of pasting in spreadsheets or account information. This reduces the chance of accidentally exposing private information.
3. Check Privacy and Training Options
Most major AI platforms will have training and privacy options under a settings or account tab. Check the following:
• Training -- turn off the option to use your conversation for training, if available
• Chat history -- turn off history if possible, or use incognito mode
• Memory -- delete any private conversation the assistant may remember about you
• Deletion -- learn how to delete individual or all chats
• Connected apps -- delete or turn off permissions for additional apps connected to the service
Settings may change frequently, so be sure to check again every few months, and read privacy policy summaries for the service.
4. Choose the Right Tool for the Right Job
Not all tasks require the same security measures. As a general guide, you can think in terms of sensitivity:
• Low sensitivity: recipe ideas, general questions, etc. -- use any tool
• Medium sensitivity: email writing, study notes, document editing -- anonymized text + privacy settings
• High sensitivity: legal, medical, financial documents and client communication -- enterprise tools with data protection, or on-device model (see #5)
If you are working with an enterprise tool, use only the tools your company has approved. Pasting company information into a personal account may be a security risk.
5. Use On-Device and Local AI
Some AI tools are now available as local models that run on your device, rather than in the cloud. These are generally more secure, as your information is not stored anywhere else. Many local AI models are now available for summarizing, writing, and transcribing. If privacy is a concern, consider using local/offline AI assistants, which may have slightly reduced performance, but significantly increased security.
6. Secure Your Account
Your account is your gateway to the AI, so it should be secured like any other important account. Use a strong unique password, and two-factor authentication if possible. Avoid using shared or public devices, and avoid sharing chat links publicly if they contain private information, as anyone with the link may be able to view it.
7. Be Careful With Photos, Voice, and Files
Photos, voices, and files often contain information that the AI may use, or that other people may use to access your account. Avoid taking or uploading photos with important or private information, such as address, house numbers, or documents. Edit or blur photos that contain children or other private information. File formats, audio files, and voice notes may also contain metadata -- check the settings for whatever tool you are using to see if this is a concern.
8. Be Careful With Third Party Apps and Extensions
It is a good idea to avoid installing unnecessary apps or extensions that claim to "enhance" your experience with the AI. Only install extensions from known developers, and be aware of what permissions they ask for. Avoid "free" apps and extensions that do not have a clear privacy policy. Avoid apps that ask for more information than they need -- if an app asks to access your entire email account for a simple task, it is probably not a legitimate app.
Everyday Examples of AI Use
Some common examples of everyday use of AI include:
• Emails -- paste in emails with private details replaced by generic tags.
• Summaries -- use bulleted notes rather than client documents.
• Planning -- share destination and travel dates, not passport or booking details.
• Learning -- ask general questions rather than pasting school documents.
• Health -- ask general questions, and discuss specific concerns with a doctor.
• Resumes -- remove phone numbers, addresses, and emails before pasting.
A Privacy Checklist
Before you send a prompt, ask yourself the following questions.
Would I be comfortable having someone see this text?
Have I replaced all private names, numbers, and addresses?
Do I really need to upload this text?
Have I turned on all relevant privacy settings?
Am I using the right AI tool for the level of sensitivity?
If you answer any of these questions with a 'no', go back and edit your prompt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to use AI chatbots for personal tasks?
For most personal tasks, AI chatbots are safe to use. Just be sure to avoid sharing private information, and double check your settings.
Can AI companies see my chats?
It depends on the company and their privacy settings. Some companies may allow limited review of conversations for safety or quality assurance, and some may offer options to opt out of training. Your chats should be kept private by default.
Does deleting a chat permanently delete my data?
It depends on the company. Some companies may store your data for a certain amount of time before deleting it. See the privacy policy of the company you are using.
What is the safest way to use AI for work?
Make sure to use company recommended tools and settings, and anonymize any private information.
Final Thoughts
Using AI does not have to mean losing your privacy. By using anonymized tags, avoiding sharing private information, adjusting your settings, using the right tool for the job, and securing your account, you can use the convenience and power of AI while still protecting your privacy. Start small -- use one or two of these security measures for your next prompt and build from there.
This is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Accordingly, it is difficult to figure out when to end it. But then, this is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Period.
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