Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
This is the most critical category to protect. Personally Identifiable Information includes anything that can be used to identify an individual, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, passport details, or Aadhaar numbers. Sharing this
information—whether it belongs to you, a colleague, or a customer—in a public AI tool is a major risk. These platforms are not bound by the same confidentiality rules as your company. A data breach or even a simple misconfiguration could expose this sensitive data, leading to identity theft, phishing attacks, or regulatory fines for your employer under data protection laws.
Confidential Company and Client Data
Employees often turn to AI to summarise reports or analyse data, but pasting sensitive company information is a dangerous habit. This includes internal financial reports, sales figures, marketing strategies, upcoming product plans, or client project details. Anything entered into a public large language model (LLM) should be treated as a public disclosure. Leaking this information can erode your company's competitive advantage, damage client trust, and violate non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). Think of it this way: if you wouldn't say it in a crowded room, don't type it into a chatbot.
Intellectual Property and Trade Secrets
Your company's most valuable assets are often its intellectual property (IP). This can be proprietary software code, engineering designs, chemical formulas, or secret recipes. When you enter this data into a chatbot, you risk it being incorporated into the model's training data. This means your trade secret could potentially be used to inform responses for other users, including competitors. Even with enterprise-grade AI tools that promise data privacy, it's crucial to understand your company’s specific policy before sharing any IP. The risk of losing control over your core innovations is simply too high.
Login Credentials and Security Information
This should be an obvious rule, but it bears repeating: never share usernames, passwords, API keys, or any other form of access credential with an AI chatbot. Even if you're trying to debug a piece of code that contains a security key, you must remove all sensitive credentials before pasting it. These systems can be vulnerable to hacks, and their chat logs could be compromised, giving attackers the keys to your company's kingdom. Always use a secure password manager and never place access tokens in a third-party tool's chat window.
Sensitive Internal Communications
Think twice before asking a chatbot to help you draft a response to a sensitive HR complaint or summarise a confidential legal memo. Conversations about employee performance reviews, internal investigations, M&A discussions, or any other privileged communication should remain within secure, company-approved channels. The context of these conversations is nuanced and sensitive. Exposing this information through an AI tool not only breaks confidentiality but could also create legal and HR liabilities for your organisation. Many companies have now banned the use of public AI for these exact reasons.
Health and Financial Records
While you might be tempted to ask a chatbot for general advice, never upload personal health information or detailed financial documents. Public AI tools are not compliant with health privacy laws like HIPAA, so any medical data you share is not protected. Likewise, sharing bank statements, credit card numbers, or investment details puts you at significant risk of financial fraud and identity theft. For personal health or financial matters, always consult a qualified doctor or financial advisor, not an algorithm.
