Privacy basics

Treat AI chat like a conversation with a smart stranger on a train. Helpful, but don't hand them your wallet.

What the companies say

Major providers encrypt your conversations and don't sell your data. By default, however, your chats *may be used to improve future versions of the model*.

Settings worth changing

• In ChatGPT settings → *Data Controls*, turn off "Improve the model for everyone."
• Use temporary chats for anything sensitive — they aren't saved or used for training.
• For work, ask whether your employer has a business AI account. Those have stronger privacy guarantees.

What never to paste

• Passwords or full credit card numbers
• Your full social security number
• Confidential client or company data (unless on a business plan that allows it)
• Other people's private information without their okay

Rule of thumb: if you wouldn't email it to a vendor you just met, don't paste it into a chatbot.