As Gen AI Tools become increasingly become popular among users and companies integrating it into their operations, there are so much to look at. One of being privacy concerns. Many if not a few companies are rolling out AI chatbots to boost their operations and efficiency. While some users feed data to AI chatbots by instructing to write an essay or even take notes during meetings. These AI tools are mostly in the form of large language models (LLMs) such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
LLMs are trained to pull off large amount of data that are available online, this pose risks as users are unaware of the privacy and data protections risks that come with LLMs as well as other generative AI tools.
Statista reports that nearly 11% of employees at global companies have experimented with ChatGPT in their workplace at least once in their tasks.
A recent McKinsey & Company survey reveals a sharp rise in AI adoption, with half of businesses leveraging it across at least two functions in 2024—an impressive jump from just under a third in 2023.
So, let’s See Tips on How to Protect Your Privacy When Using AI-Powered Tools
#1 Do not share identifiable personal data
Identifiable personal data refers to information that can be used to identify an individual, either directly or indirectly like your names, cell numbers, passport, DOB, biometric data, financial, health records and more so IP Address. Gen AI tools and large language models (LLMs) are capable of storing and repurpose data provided to them by you.
#2 Practice Regular change of passwords with 2FA
Always practice long and complex passwords accompanied by Two factor Authentication (2FA). Ensure Passwords linked to AI systems must be unique from your personal accounts.
#3 Manage Data Privacy Settings
When navigating through websites ensure you disable data storage under “privacy settings” to prevent company or user data from being used for AI model training.
#4 Enforce an AI & Privacy policy
Establishing a clear and thorough policy on AI usage and data privacy is essential for minimizing the risks linked to generative AI tools, ensuring responsible and secure integration into business practices.
#5 Offline Your Systems From the Internet.
Businesses can lower the risk of sensitive data exposure by reevaluating what parts of their networks need to stay online, shifting away from an ‘always-on’ approach to a more strategic, selective connectivity.
