Never share passwords, ID or bank details, private medical information, other people's personal data, confidential work or client documents, or anything you would not want stored or seen by others with a public AI tool. Check whether your chats are used for training, use privacy settings, and anonymise information before asking for help.
Why privacy matters with AI
When you type into an AI assistant, your message is sent to the provider's servers. Depending on the product, your settings and your account type, conversations may be stored, reviewed for safety or used to improve future models. Even when providers protect data well, the safest assumption is: do not share anything you would regret being stored.
Never share
- Passwords, PINs and one-time codes. No legitimate AI tool needs them.
- ID numbers, such as CNIC, passport or national insurance numbers.
- Bank and card details.
- Private medical information, especially identifiable details about yourself or others.
- Other people's personal data: names with phone numbers, addresses, photos of friends or students, private messages.
- Confidential work material: client files, unreleased financial results, internal strategy, source code your employer has not approved for AI tools.
- Exam papers or assessment materials under confidentiality rules.
Share with care
- Your own writing and notes: usually fine, but consider whether the content is sensitive.
- Photos of yourself: think about where they might end up.
- Personal problems: AI can be a useful sounding board, but it is not a confidential therapist. For mental health support, speak to a qualified professional; see our wellbeing services.
Settings to check
Most major AI tools offer some of these controls:
- Training opt-out: whether your conversations are used to improve models.
- Chat history: turning off or deleting saved conversations.
- Temporary or private chats: sessions that are not saved.
- Business or education accounts: often have stronger data protections.
- Connected apps: review which accounts, such as email or cloud storage, the AI can access.
Settings change frequently, so review them every few months.
Anonymise before you ask
You can usually get the help you need without identifying details:
- Replace names with "Student A" or "Client X".
- Remove addresses, phone numbers and ID numbers.
- Summarise sensitive documents instead of uploading them.
- Use made-up sample data to ask how a spreadsheet formula works.
For parents
Children often do not realise that chatbots are not private diaries. Talk with them about what is personal, check age requirements of the tools they use, and keep younger children's AI use supervised. Our online safety guide for families covers this.
For professionals
Follow your organisation's AI policy. If there is none, ask for one. Clients in healthcare, finance, law and education may have legal requirements about where their data can go.
Frequently asked questions
Do AI companies read my chats?
Policies vary. Some conversations may be reviewed for safety or quality. Read the privacy policy and adjust settings.
Is deleting a chat enough?
Deleting usually removes it from your history, but retention policies differ. Avoid sharing sensitive data in the first place.
Are paid AI plans more private?
Business and enterprise plans often include stronger data protections, but check the specific terms.
