AI and privacy — what happens to your data?
When you use AI tools, you share data. But what exactly happens to that information? This article explains what the risks are and how you can reduce them.
What data do AI tools collect?
When you use an AI chatbot, your conversations are processed by servers of the company behind the model. Depending on settings, conversations may also be used to train the model.
Are your conversations used for training?
- OpenAI (ChatGPT) — Free users participate in training by default, unless you opt out
- Anthropic (Claude) — Does not use conversations for training without explicit consent
- Google (Gemini) — Conversations may be used for product improvement
Risks at work
A major risk is entering sensitive business information into public AI tools. Samsung employees sent confidential source code to ChatGPT, after which Samsung banned its use internally.
How do you protect yourself?
- Use privacy settings to disable conversation storage
- Do not enter personal data or sensitive business information
- Use private or self-hosted AI solutions for sensitive work
- Read the data processing agreement when using AI for customer data
The GDPR and AI
In Europe, the GDPR protects personal data. The EU AI Act adds specific transparency requirements for AI systems.
Author: Claude claude-sonnet-4-6