What not to type into an AI assistant

Whatever you type into an AI assistant is sent over the internet to the company that runs it. Depending on the service and its settings, it may be stored, read by staff for checking quality, or used to improve the system. The safe rule is simple: do not type anything that you would not write on a postcard.

Never type these

Passwords, PINs and one-time passwords. No genuine task needs them. If any tool or person asks you to paste an OTP into a chat, stop.
Identity numbers. Aadhaar, PAN, passport, driving licence and voter card numbers.
Bank and card details. Account numbers, card numbers, CVV, UPI PIN, net banking details.
Full copies of identity documents or photographs of them.
Medical records with a name attached.

An assistant does not need any of these to help you write a letter, plan a budget or understand a document.

Other people's information

You are also the keeper of other people's privacy. Before pasting something, ask whether it contains details of someone who has not agreed to share them.

A customer's name, phone number, address or purchase history.
A student's marks, behaviour notes or family circumstances.
An employee's salary or appraisal.
A patient's condition.
Private messages someone sent you.

If you handle such information for your work, your employer or profession may have rules or legal duties about where it can go. Follow those before anything on this page.

Office and business secrets

Unreleased prices, tender figures, contracts, customer lists, source code and internal plans belong to your employer or your business. Some organisations forbid putting them into outside AI services at all, and some provide an approved tool. Ask before you paste. "I only wanted a summary" is not a defence if a confidential document ends up where it should not be.

How to get help without revealing details

You can almost always get the same help with the private parts removed.

Replace real names with labels. "Customer A", "Student 1", "my supplier". Put the real names back yourself afterwards.

Replace numbers with blanks. Ask for a letter with ________ where the account number goes, and write it in by hand.

Describe, do not paste. "A customer is angry because a delivery was four days late" gets you as good a reply as pasting the whole chat with their phone number in it.

Use made-up sample data. For a spreadsheet question, type five invented rows that have the same shape as your real ones.

Cut out the sensitive section. For a long document, remove the page with personal details and paste the rest.

Here is a prompt that asks for the blanks to be built in.

Write the letter with blanks like ________ wherever a personal detail is needed, such as my name, address, account or reference number, phone number and signature. Do not ask me for those details. List the blanks at the end so that I do not miss one.

Replace the parts in [CAPITALS] first, or after pasting.

Check the settings of the service you use

AI services differ, and their terms change. Most have a privacy page and a settings screen. Look for answers to these questions.

Is what I type kept, and for how long?
Is it used to train or improve the system, and can I turn that off?
Can I delete my conversation history?
Is there a mode that does not save the conversation?
If I use it through my office or school, who else can see my conversations?

We do not describe the settings of any particular service here, because they differ and change. Read the service's own pages.

Files, photographs and voice

The same rules apply to anything you upload. A photograph of a form shows every number on it. A screenshot of a chat shows the names and numbers in it. A photograph taken at home can show faces, documents on a table or your location. Crop or cover what is not needed before you upload.

Children

Children should not type their full name, school, address, phone number or photographs into any chat service, AI or otherwise. Many AI services have a minimum age in their terms. If a child uses an assistant for study, an adult should set it up, explain these rules and look at how it is being used.

If you have already pasted something

Do not panic. Delete the conversation if the service allows it, and look in its settings for a way to remove stored data. If it was a password or a PIN, change it now. If it was a bank or card detail and you are worried, contact your bank through its official number. If it was your employer's information, tell the right person at work. Then use the habits above from now on.

A one-line rule

Before you press enter, glance over the prompt and ask: is there a name, a number or a secret here that the assistant does not truly need? If so, take it out.

This is an independent site. It is not connected with any company that makes AI assistants. The prompts are plain text and can be used in any AI chat assistant. An AI assistant can give wrong or made-up answers: check anything important before you rely on it, and do not paste private details into a prompt.