Protecting what matters.
THE RISK
Confidential material pasted into a tool leaves your control.
Even where a provider does not train on it, it has been transmitted and stored somewhere.
WHAT COUNTS AS CONFIDENTIAL
Customer personal data Financial information Contracts and negotiations Unreleased plans Staff matters Anything covered by an agreement
WHAT TO DO INSTEAD
Remove identifying details before sending. "Customer A" rather than the name. Describe the situation generically rather than pasting the document. Use a provider with appropriate terms for confidential work. Use local models where the material cannot leave your systems.
FOR PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATIONS
Lawyers, accountants, doctors and others have duties of confidentiality that do not bend for convenience.
Check what your professional body says before using AI on client material.
FOR STAFF
State what may and may not be sent to AI tools.
Most inadvertent disclosure happens because nobody said.
A SHORT POLICY
One page: what may be used, what may not be sent, and who to ask.
That prevents most problems.
