What Not to Paste Into an AI Chatbot

It is easy to treat an AI chat box like a private notebook. You paste in a messy email thread and ask for a summary, or drop in a spreadsheet and ask what stands out. Most of the time that is fine. But what you type is sent to a company's servers, and depending on the service and your settings it may be stored, reviewed or used to improve future models.

A few simple habits let you keep the benefits without exposing information that should stay private.

Why caution makes sense

• Conversations may be stored. Many services keep chat history, sometimes for a long time, unless you delete it or change settings.
• Some services use conversations for training unless you opt out, particularly on free and consumer plans. Business plans often have different defaults. Check the terms of the tool you use.
• People may review conversations for safety or quality in some services.
• Accounts can be compromised. If someone gets into your AI account, they can read your history.
• Sharing features can expose chats. A shared conversation link may be visible to anyone who has it.
• Connected apps widen access. Plugins and integrations may send your data to additional services.

The keep-out list

As a rule, do not paste these into general AI tools:

1. Passwords, sign-in codes, API keys and access tokens. Ever.
2. Payment card numbers, bank account and routing numbers.
3. Government ID numbers, such as Social Security, passport or driver's license numbers.
4. Health information about yourself or, especially, about other people, such as patients, clients or members.
5. Confidential client, customer or donor records, including contact lists and giving histories.
6. Employee matters, like performance reviews, discipline, medical leave or salary details.
7. Information under a confidentiality agreement or a client's trade secrets.
8. Legal matters, including documents from an ongoing dispute, where privilege could be affected. Ask your attorney first.
9. Unreleased business plans or financial results you would not want leaked.
10. Other people's personal details that they have not agreed to share, including private messages.

Settings worth checking today

Open the settings of any AI tool you use regularly and look for:

• Data or training controls, to stop your conversations being used to improve models, where the service offers it.
• Temporary or private chat modes that are not saved to your history.
• History and retention options, so you can delete old conversations.
• Shared links, and delete any you no longer need.
• Connected apps, removing anything you do not use.
• Account security, including a strong password and two-factor authentication.

Safer ways to get help with sensitive work

You can often get the same help without the sensitive details.

• Anonymize. Replace names with roles ("Client A," "the board chair") and remove identifying details before pasting.
• Describe instead of paste. "I need to tell a long-time volunteer that their role is changing. Help me write a kind, clear message" works without any personal information.
• Use sample data. Ask for a spreadsheet formula using made-up numbers, then apply it to the real file yourself.
• Use approved business tools. If your organization has an AI tool with appropriate data protections and an agreement covering confidential information, use that for work.
• Consider local tools. Some AI tools can run models on your own computer, so text never leaves the device. These require more setup and may be less capable, but they suit some sensitive tasks.

Follow your workplace rules

If your employer or organization has an AI policy, it takes priority. If it does not, suggest one. Our guide to writing an AI use policy for a small team shows how simple it can be.

If you already pasted something you should not have

• Delete the conversation from your history.
• Change any password or rotate any key you shared, right away.
• Tell your manager or privacy contact if it involved client, patient or donor information, so they can decide whether further steps are needed.
• Check your settings to prevent it next time.

Understanding a little about how AI chatbots work makes these habits feel natural rather than fussy.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to paste a document into an AI tool to summarize it?

It depends on the document and the tool. Public or non-sensitive documents are generally fine. For confidential material, use an approved business tool with appropriate protections, or remove sensitive details first.

Does deleting a chat remove it completely?

Deleting usually removes it from your visible history, but services may retain data for a period for safety or legal reasons. Check the provider's privacy policy for specifics.

Are paid AI plans more private than free ones?

Often business and enterprise plans offer stronger data protections, such as not using your content for training by default. Read the specific plan's terms rather than assuming.