These rules are non-negotiable. Write them down — you'll be asked to state them from memory:
- Never paste secrets. No passwords, API keys, full card numbers, or government ID numbers into any AI tool. Ever.
- Client and employer data. Check your workplace's AI policy before pasting internal documents. If in doubt, anonymize: replace names, figures and identifiers with placeholders.
- Free tiers may train on your data. Check each tool's data settings and turn off training where possible.
- Confidential means confidential. Signing an NDA and then pasting the client's document into a chatbot can be a breach. When working for clients, ask what they permit.
Think it through
Your boss asks you to summarize a confidential HR document. Can you use AI?
Sit with it before reading on. The honest answer: only with permission and/or anonymization. The convenience of a summary is never worth a confidentiality breach — one incident can end a client relationship or a job.