Where’s the fire?
If you are online, you’ve probably noticed the massive influx of AI content. At this point, you are either in one of two camps, or on the fence:
- AI is bad!
- I use AI all the time!
- The fence: I don’t see what the big deal is…
If you are planning on using AI tools or are a pro at generative AI, these safety tips are for you. If you hate AI and never want to use it, you may want to know these too and tell all your AI using friends.
Generative AI like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are changing the way we interact with the internet, with media, and how we do everyday tasks. For some people, using AI tools is becoming as ingrained as our personal computers, or our mobile devices.
Just like other connected technologies, there are safe and unsafe ways to use AI. It might be unsafe to get too comfortable oversharing in the AI Chat. Here are 10 tips for staying safe while using AI:
🔒 1. Protect Personal Information
Don't put addresses, full names, or contact info for yourself or your loved ones in the chat. If this information gets processed, it could end up in the training data of the AI model or accidentally leaked to someone else.
📁 2. Keep Sensitive Files Private
As easy as it would be to say "Hey, output a csv in a different format using my company's financial record file," it's best not to share any files that could contain sensitive, personal, or critical information.
©️ 3. Know Your Copyright Risks
At time of writing this, AI-generated responses are considered public domain. Don't be surprised if you put in an article, artwork, or novel and can't retain all rights to the AI-edited output. This differs by local regulations, so check how this applies to you.
⚖️ 4. Respect Others' Intellectual Property
Just because AI-generated results are generally considered public domain doesn't mean you won't get in trouble for creating content that infringes on someone else's copyright. Be mindful of what you're generating.
🔍 5. Verify AI Advice
Always check the sources. Sometimes, the AI will hallucinate—creating incorrect content but presenting it confidently as truth. It may also find misinformation online and interpret it as fact. Always verify responses, especially for important decisions.
📢 6. Disclose AI-Generated Content
Your local regulations may require you to disclose when content has been made, altered, edited, or otherwise created by generative AI. For example, some art platforms will ban you for not disclosing AI-generated images as such.
🏢 7. Follow Workplace Policies
Don't use AI at work unless you're specifically authorized, especially if you're working with internal company files or data. Most companies have policies regarding AI use and which tools are approved.
✅ 8. Use Trusted AI Tools
Some AI models have guard rails or protections that make them safer to use. If you use a lesser-known tool or a knockoff (like something claiming to be ChatGPT but hosted on a different website), it may not have the same safety restrictions.
💾 9. Save Your Work Regularly
If you're working on something in an AI chat, SAVE IT! Download the text or copy it to a Word or text file. If you lose access to the tool or can't log back in, you'll at least have one copy of your conversation and content.
🩺 10. Consult Real Professionals
Never leave financial, legal, or medical decisions to AI. Blindly following advice from AI instead of a trained professional is risky. Always find a licensed professional to help you with important life decisions.
Staying Safe While Still Going Fast
While it is important to be mindful of these things, you may be worried that too many boxes to check will slow you down. However, this does not have to slow down your adoption of AI tools. If you look closely, most of these tips are generally applicable to more tools than just AI.
It is a bit of a dance to apply these to a new tool, but if you learned to be safe with email, you have the skills you need to be safe using AI. Because, learning to use AI safely is less about specific rules and more about learning patterns of digital safety, such as don’t overshare, validate your sources, comply with regulations and corporate policy. This becomes second nature as you apply each principle to your day-to-day activities.
So, whether you are just learning to use AI, or are trying to keep away from it… stay safe out there.
