What to give the AI and what to keep back

Assume anything you type into a public AI tool leaves your control. Give it only what it needs to write good wording, and nothing more.

Why the caution

• The provider can see it. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre says your question can be read by the company that runs the tool.¹
• Leaks happen. The same source warns that stored queries may be hacked, leaked, or more likely accidentally made publicly accessible.¹
• Read the terms. It says the terms of use and privacy policy need to be thoroughly understood before asking sensitive questions.¹
• Official advice is cautious. Australia's privacy regulator says it's best practice for organisations not to enter personal information, and particularly sensitive information, into AI chatbots.² It also expects organisations to look for ways to minimise the amount of personal information put into an AI product.²

Privacy laws differ by country, and some apply to businesses of certain sizes only. Check your own regulator's pages, or ask a lawyer. This site can't say what applies to you.

Usually fine to give

• The tone you want. Warm, neutral, firm.
• A generic description of your business. "A small plumbing firm" rather than your company name, if you'd rather not name it.
• Placeholders. [CUSTOMER NAME], [INVOICE NUMBER], [AMOUNT], [DUE DATE].
• Your own writing samples, once you've removed names and numbers.
• The general situation. "The invoice is a few days overdue and the customer usually pays on time."

Keep out of the chat

• Customer names, emails, phone numbers and addresses. These are personal information.
• Bank details and card numbers, yours or theirs.
• Tax file numbers, business registration or tax numbers tied to a person.
• Anything about health, hardship, family or a dispute. That's sensitive, and it's also a case for a human reply.
• Contracts and full invoices. Pasting a whole document gives the tool far more than it needs.
• Logins, passwords and payment links that are specific to one customer.
• Another company's confidential terms.

A simple method

1. Write the brief with placeholders, as in the first-reminder example.
2. Paste only that brief into the tool.
3. Take the draft away and fill in the real details in your email program or invoicing software.
4. Check the result against the real invoice, using the pre-send list.

Check the tool's settings

• Look for a business or work plan, and read what it says about storing and reusing your chats.
• Look for a setting that turns off chat history or training use, if there is one.
• If you use an AI feature inside your accounting software, check what data it can see. It may already hold your customer list. The maker's own help pages are the place to look. The tool roundup names two makers.
• Ask your staff to follow the same rules. A shared habit is easier to keep than a long policy.