Privacy & Safe Use

Everything you type into an AI assistant is sent to the company that runs it. That's not a reason to avoid AI, but it is a reason to think before you paste. Today you'll learn what's safe to share, the settings that matter, and how to use AI responsibly.

What's safe to share?

For "think first" items, ask: does the task really need this detail? Usually it doesn't.

Use placeholders

You can get the same help without sharing the personal details. Replace them with placeholders, then put the real details back yourself afterwards:

Help me write a polite reminder to a tenant about late rent.
 
Details: [Tenant name] at [Address] is 10 days late with the [Month] rent of [Amount]. This is the second time this year. I want to keep a good relationship but be clear the rent must be paid within 7 days.

The assistant has everything it needs to write a good letter, and no one's personal data has left your computer.

Check your settings

Every assistant handles data a little differently, and the menus change, so take five minutes to look through Settings (often under "Data controls" or "Privacy"). The key questions:

• Is my chat history saved? Can I delete chats?
• Can my conversations be used to train future models? Many consumer apps let you switch this off.
• Is there a temporary or private chat mode that isn't saved to my history?
• What does the assistant remember about me? Some have a "memory" feature you can view, edit or turn off.

At work and at school

• Follow your organisation's AI policy. Many workplaces say which tools are approved and what data may be used with them. If there's no policy, ask.
• Don't paste confidential information (client data, unreleased plans, internal figures, code) into personal accounts.
• At school or university, check the rules on AI help for each assignment. Using AI where it isn't allowed can count as cheating, and its mistakes become yours.

Use AI honestly

• Be open when AI did a significant part of the work, especially where people expect your own effort, such as coursework, job applications or published writing, and follow any rules that require you to say so.
• Don't create misleading content: fake reviews, fake quotes, or realistic images and audio of real people.
• Remember bias. Assistants learn from human writing, which includes stereotypes. Watch for one-sided or unfair answers, especially in decisions about people.

Watch out for AI-powered scams

The same technology helps scammers write convincing emails, clone voices and create fake videos.

Recap

• What you type goes to the AI company: think before you paste.
• Never share passwords, card or account numbers, ID numbers or security codes.
• Use placeholders for personal details; share only what the task needs.
• Check your settings: chat history, training on your data, temporary chats and memory.
• Follow workplace and school rules, be honest about AI help, and verify urgent requests.

Tomorrow you'll save time with reusable prompts and custom instructions.