How to Use Artificial Intelligence Safely: Protecting Your Data, Privacy, and Security

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have become increasingly popular for completing personal tasks, answering questions, and assisting with everyday activities. Although these tools offer many benefits, users must understand the potential security and privacy risks associated with them. Sharing sensitive information, neglecting account security, or trusting AI-generated information without verification can expose users to unnecessary risks. By following a few essential security guidelines, individuals can use AI tools more responsibly while protecting their personal information and devices.

Protect Your Data and Privacy

One of the most important steps when using AI is protecting personal and confidential information. Users should avoid entering personally identifiable information (PII), such as their full name, home address, phone number, Social Security number, or financial details, into AI prompts unless there is a clear need and the platform is appropriate for that information. Similarly, passwords, API keys, and private code repositories should never be pasted into AI text boxes because doing so could expose sensitive credentials.

Users should also exercise caution when uploading medical records, diagnostic results, health histories, or other private documents. Before sharing information with an AI platform, individuals should consider whether the information is necessary and review how the platform collects, stores, and processes user data. Harvard University and other educational institutions recommend following privacy-conscious practices when using generative AI tools [1, 2, 4, 5].

Adjust Account and Privacy Settings

Another important security measure is reviewing the privacy settings of AI accounts. Some platforms provide data controls that allow users to decide whether their conversations may be used to improve AI models. Users should review these options and disable model-training data sharing when appropriate.

Managing chat history and memory features is also essential. Depending on the platform, conversations may be stored for a period of time, and memory features may retain certain details across multiple sessions. Users should learn how these features work, delete conversations or saved memories when appropriate, and avoid assuming that deleting a chat automatically removes every associated record.

Additionally, individuals should read the privacy policies of AI providers, such as OpenAI and Google Gemini, to understand their data-retention practices and how personal information is handled. These policies may differ depending on the service, account type, and settings, so users should verify the current terms rather than assume all AI tools operate the same way [1, 5, 7, 9, 10].

Maintain Good Cybersecurity Habits

Strong cybersecurity practices can help protect AI accounts and personal devices. Users should create strong, unique passwords for their accounts and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) whenever it is available. These measures can reduce the risk of unauthorized access, especially if a password is compromised.

Network security is another consideration. When using public Wi-Fi, individuals should avoid entering sensitive information over unsecured connections. A trusted virtual private network (VPN) may provide additional protection for network traffic, but it does not replace secure websites, account protections, or careful data-sharing practices.

Users must also remain alert to phishing attempts and deepfakes. Generative AI can help scammers create convincing emails, messages, images, and audio or video recordings. Unexpected requests for money, passwords, verification codes, or confidential information should be treated cautiously. When a message appears to come from a friend, family member, or organization, users should verify the request through a separate, trusted communication channel before responding [8, 11].

Verify AI-Generated Information

Although AI tools can provide useful answers, their responses are not always accurate. AI systems may generate incorrect facts, misleading statistics, or fabricated citations that appear legitimate. Therefore, users should independently verify important information before relying on it, particularly when making decisions involving education, finances, health, or cybersecurity.

The same principle applies to AI-generated computer code. Code may contain security vulnerabilities, outdated dependencies, or unsafe practices that could put a device or project at risk. Users should review generated code carefully, check the reliability of suggested packages, and test changes in an appropriate environment before using them in important applications. Maintaining human oversight helps ensure that AI remains a useful tool rather than an unquestioned source of information [3, 5, 11, 12].

Conclusion

Using artificial intelligence safely requires awareness, responsibility, and consistent security habits. By limiting the personal information shared with AI tools, adjusting privacy settings, securing accounts, recognizing potential scams, and verifying generated information, users can reduce privacy and cybersecurity risks. As AI technology continues to develop, understanding how these platforms handle data and following recommended security practices will remain essential for protecting personal information and devices.

References

1. Harvard University, Privacy and Security. Best Practices for Using Generative AI.
2. Harvard University, HUIT. AI Guidelines.
3. KPMG. Eight Tips for Using AI Safely.
4. University of California, Santa Cruz. Guide to Using Artificial Intelligence Safely.
5. Stanford University. Responsible AI.
6. University of Pennsylvania. AI Guidance.
7. Instagram. AI Data Privacy Discussion.
8. Chinese University of Hong Kong. Security Tips When Using Artificial Intelligence Tools.
9. OpenAI. Usage Policies.
10. Webroot. Seven Tips for Keeping Your Data Private When Using AI.
11. California State University. Guidelines for Safe and Responsible Use of Generative AI Tools.
12. U.S. Department of Energy. Artificial Intelligence Usage Guidelines.