“Is this AI private?” is the wrong question
The same provider can have different terms for a free consumer account, a paid individual account, a business workspace, and an API agreement. Settings can also change whether conversations are retained or used to improve models.
Ask a more precise question: Which product and plan are we using? What settings are enabled? How long is the information retained? Who can access it? Is it used for training? What happens when another app is connected?
Keep these categories out by default
Until your organization has approved a specific tool and process, treat the following as off limits.
- Passwords, private keys, access tokens, and unrestricted production credentials.
- Customer, patient, student, or employee records that contain protected or identifying information.
- Confidential contracts, financial records, legal strategy, or unreleased company plans.
- Copyrighted or licensed material you do not have permission to upload or transform.
- Any information another person trusted you to keep private.
Business plans can have different protections
OpenAI states that its business offerings are not used for model training by default, while individual services have separate data controls. Anthropic also distinguishes commercial offerings from consumer use. Google describes separate protections for licensed Workspace content.
Those statements are useful starting points, not universal guarantees. Connected apps, optional feedback, retention settings, regional terms, and organization-specific agreements still matter.
Reduce the information before you share it
Often the AI does not need the real name, account number, or complete document. Replace identifying details, provide only the relevant excerpt, or create a fictional sample that preserves the structure of the problem.
The safest useful input is the minimum information needed to perform the task.
Before your next upload, remove names, account numbers, addresses, credentials, and unrelated pages. Then ask whether the remaining material is still enough to complete the assignment.
Sources and further reading
Product capabilities and policies change. These are the primary sources used for this guide.