Why this matters
When you type into an AI assistant, your words travel to the company's computers. Depending on the tool and your settings, they may be stored, used to improve the tool, or read by human reviewers checking quality. Some providers say this openly in their privacy pages. If you paste a client's customer list or a friend's medical details into a chat, you may have shared it with people who were never meant to see it. Employers and clients care about this a lot, and getting it right is part of being trusted with real work.
What never goes in
Keep these out of AI tools unless your employer has given you an approved tool and clear permission:
- Passwords, PINs, MoMo PINs and one time codes.
- Ghana Card numbers, bank details and full dates of birth.
- Other people's personal information: names with phone numbers, addresses, health, school results, salaries.
- A client's private business information: customer lists, unreleased plans, contracts, financial records.
- Anything you were told is confidential.
If you need help with a document that contains personal details, remove or replace them first. Change "Amina Seidu, 024 000 0000, Nalerigu" to "Customer A, phone removed, town removed". The AI can still help with the wording.
Settings worth checking
Most assistants have a settings or privacy page. Look for options to: