Privacy & Data Handling
A simple question with real stakes: what happens to the text you send an AI? The answer depends on the provider, the product, and your plan — so the safe habit is to know before you paste.
The questions to answer for your tool
- Is my input used to train models? This varies a lot — consumer chat, API, and enterprise tiers often differ. Many API/enterprise offerings do not train on your data by default; some consumer settings may, depending on your choices. Check.
- How long is data retained, and who can access it?
- Where is it processed (region/residency), and is it encrypted?
- Is there a zero-retention or business/enterprise option for sensitive work?
Practical rules of thumb
- Don't paste secrets — API keys, passwords, tokens — into any AI tool. Ever.
- Minimize personal data. Send only what the task needs; redact names, IDs, account numbers when you can.
- Other people's data is their data. Be careful with customer PII, health, or financial info — there may be legal obligations (GDPR, HIPAA, etc.).
- Use the right tier. For regulated or confidential work, use a business/enterprise/zero-retention option, not a personal account.
- Consider local/self-hosted models when data truly cannot leave your environment — you trade some capability for full control.
On-device vs cloud
| Cloud (hosted) | Local / self-hosted | |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | Highest | Lower (but improving) |
| Data leaves your machine | Yes (per provider terms) | No |
| Setup/cost | Easy, pay per use | More effort, your hardware |