AI tools have become a useful part of modern work.
From drafting emails and summarising documents to brainstorming ideas and improving written communication, AI can help employees save time and work more efficiently.
However, convenience should not come at the expense of privacy, confidentiality, or professional responsibility.
Before copying and pasting workplace information into an AI tool, it is important to pause and ask:
“Am I allowed to share this information, and could someone be identified or affected by it?”
Not every piece of information is suitable for AI. Some information should remain within approved company systems, shared only with authorised people, or handled according to internal policies and applicable data protection requirements.
Why Confidentiality Matters
In the workplace, employees may come across information that belongs to the company, clients, business partners, or colleagues.
This may include personal details, financial information, internal reports, customer records, business plans, or confidential documents.
When this information is entered into an external AI tool, it may be processed outside the organisation’s usual systems. Depending on the tool, account type, settings, and applicable terms, the information may also be subject to different retention, access, or processing arrangements.
This is why employees should never assume that an AI tool is automatically approved for confidential information.
Information You Should Not Paste Into AI Without Approval
1. Personal Information
Personal information is any information that can identify an individual, either directly or when combined with other details.
Examples include:
- Full names
- Identification card or passport numbers
- Home addresses
- Personal phone numbers
- Personal email addresses
- Employee numbers
- Bank account details
- Salary information
- Medical or health information
- Leave or absence records
- Performance records
- Photos or CCTV images
- Personal information contained in CVs or employee files
For example, avoid pasting an employee’s full medical certificate, salary details, or personal information into an AI tool and asking it to prepare a report.
Instead, remove identifying details and use a general example where possible.
Rather than writing:
“Please review this employee’s medical information and advise whether the absence is acceptable.”
Use a safer alternative:
“Please help me draft a general workplace absence management checklist. Do not include personal or medical information.”
2. Customer and Client Information
Customer and client information should be treated carefully, especially when it is obtained through your employment.
Examples may include:
- Customer names and contact details
- Account or membership numbers
- Transaction records
- Complaints and case details
- Customer documents
- Account statements
- Screenshots of customer conversations
- Customer verification information
- Information about a client’s business or operations
Even if you are trying to make a customer response sound more professional, you should not paste the customer’s actual personal details or case history into an AI tool unless the use has been approved.
A safer approach is to remove all identifying information and create a fictional example.
For instance:
“A customer is unhappy because a service request has been delayed. Help me draft a polite response acknowledging the delay and explaining the next steps.”
This provides enough context for drafting without exposing the customer’s identity.
3. Company Confidential Information
Not all confidential information is personal data. Businesses also have information that should not be disclosed outside authorised channels.
This may include:
- Internal policies and unpublished procedures
- Business strategies
- Financial forecasts
- Revenue or performance reports
- Pricing structures
- Business plans
- Internal presentations
- Unpublished project information
- Operational processes
- Internal investigations
- Vendor or partner information
- Non-public company announcements
- Internal meeting notes
For example, an employee should not upload an internal business presentation to an AI tool simply to create a shorter summary unless the tool and process have been approved by the company.
When in doubt, check whether the document is marked confidential, intended for internal use, or restricted to a particular group of employees.
4. Passwords, Access Details, and Security Information
Some information should never be shared with AI tools.
This includes:
- Passwords
- One-time passwords or verification codes
- API keys
- Access tokens
- Login credentials
- Security questions and answers
- System configuration details
- Internal network information
- Private links to restricted files
- Screenshots showing confidential systems or credentials
AI should not be used as a place to store, check, or troubleshoot sensitive access details.
If you are experiencing a technical issue, use the company’s approved IT support channel and provide only the information requested by the authorised support team.
5. Confidential Employee and HR Information
HR-related information requires particular care because it may involve personal, financial, or sensitive details.
Employees should avoid sharing:
- Employee disciplinary records
- Performance evaluations
- Salary or compensation details
- Medical information
- Personal complaints
- Investigation notes
- Resignation or termination information
- Employee grievances
- Private conversations
- Recruitment candidate information
- Unpublished employment decisions
For example, do not paste a colleague’s performance review into AI and ask it to judge whether the employee should receive a promotion.
If you need help preparing a general performance review template, remove all personal information and ask for a generic structure instead.
6. Legal, Contractual, and Sensitive Business Documents
Contracts, legal documents, agreements, and confidential correspondence may contain information that is protected by contractual obligations or professional confidentiality.
Examples include:
- Client agreements
- Non-disclosure agreements
- Legal correspondence
- Employment contracts
- Vendor contracts
- Tender documents
- Investigation reports
- Documents containing legal advice
- Confidential negotiation details
Before using AI to summarise or rewrite such documents, confirm whether the use is permitted and whether the tool has been approved for that type of information.
A paid AI subscription does not automatically mean that every document can be uploaded. The relevant question is whether the specific tool, account, and use case meet the company’s confidentiality and security requirements.
What About Using AI With Company-Approved Tools?
Some organisations provide approved AI tools with specific security, privacy, and access controls.
For example, certain business AI services offer protections such as encryption, administrative controls, and commitments regarding the use of business data. However, the protections available may differ depending on the product, account type, configuration, and contract.
This means employees should:
- Use only AI tools approved by the company.
- Follow the company’s AI and information security policies.
- Check whether the specific account is intended for work-related information.
- Avoid sharing information beyond what is necessary.
- Confirm whether personal or confidential data is permitted.
- Ask the relevant manager, HR, IT, or data protection contact when unsure.
Do not assume that an AI tool is safe for confidential information just because it is widely used or has a paid plan.
How to Use AI More Safely at Work
1. Remove Identifying Details
Before entering information into AI, remove details that could identify a person, customer, company, or transaction.
Replace:
- Names with “Employee A” or “Customer B”
- Exact amounts with general ranges
- Specific dates with approximate timeframes
- Account numbers with fictional examples
- Company names with “the organisation”
- Locations with general descriptions
However, remember that removing a name may not be enough. A person could still be identified through a combination of job title, location, dates, case details, or other information.
2. Use Generalised Examples
If you need help drafting or brainstorming, describe the situation without including the actual confidential details.
Instead of:
“Rewrite this complaint from [customer’s name] about their account ending in 1234.”
Use:
“Rewrite a professional response to a customer who is unhappy about a delayed service request.”
3. Share Only What Is Necessary
Before pasting anything into AI, ask:
- Do I need to include this information?
- Can I complete the task without personal details?
- Can I use a fictional example?
- Is this information confidential?
- Is the tool approved for this type of content?
- Could someone be identified from the information?
- Would I be comfortable explaining this use to my manager?
If the information is not necessary, leave it out.
4. Check the Output Before Using It
Protecting confidentiality does not end after the information is entered.
AI-generated responses may contain inaccurate statements, assumptions, or details that were not in the original request. Employees should review the output carefully before sharing it with colleagues, customers, or external parties.
Always check:
- Accuracy
- Tone
- Confidentiality
- Personal information
- Company policy
- Legal or compliance requirements
- Whether the response makes unsupported claims
AI can support your work, but it does not replace human judgment or the need for proper review.
What You Can Safely Ask AI to Do
AI can still be useful without receiving confidential information.
You can ask it to help with:
- Brainstorming general ideas
- Improving grammar and sentence structure
- Drafting a generic email template
- Creating a meeting agenda
- Preparing a general checklist
- Explaining a non-confidential concept
- Rewriting a fictional scenario
- Creating a learning plan
- Suggesting presentation structures
- Generating questions for a discussion
- Summarising publicly available information
For example:
“Help me write a polite reminder email about an upcoming deadline.”
Or:
“Create a general checklist for preparing for a performance discussion.”
These prompts provide enough direction without exposing sensitive workplace information.
A Simple Rule to Remember
Before using AI at work, remember:
If you would not share it publicly, do not paste it into AI without checking first.
This is not a perfect legal test, but it is a useful first reminder.
When handling workplace information, always consider:
Privacy + Permission + Purpose
- Privacy: Does the information identify a person or contain confidential details?
- Permission: Am I authorised to share it with this tool?
- Purpose: Is sharing it necessary to complete the task?
If any answer is unclear, stop and check with the appropriate person.
Final Reminder: Use AI Responsibly
AI can help us work smarter, communicate better, and complete tasks more efficiently. However, responsible AI use also means knowing what should stay private.
Protecting personal information, customer details, company documents, and confidential business information is everyone’s responsibility.
Before you paste, pause and check.
Use AI as a helpful assistant—not as a place to store confidential information.
At MyValiant, we believe that professionalism includes using technology responsibly, protecting information, and making thoughtful decisions at work. By following approved processes and staying mindful of privacy and confidentiality, employees can make better use of AI while protecting the trust placed in them.
Work smart. Use AI responsibly. Protect what matters.