Using AI at work without leaking customer data

AI tools can save your team hours a week. A few clear rules keep your customers' information safe while you use them.

Most teams are already using AI tools, with or without a plan. The risk isn't the tool itself. It's what people paste into it.

The one rule that matters most

Don't put personal or confidential information into a public AI tool. That includes customer names, contact details, health or financial details, contracts and passwords. If you wouldn't post it publicly, don't paste it.

Check how the tool handles your data

Before the team uses a tool for work, check three things:

Is your input used to train the model, and can you switch that off?
Where is the data stored, and for how long?
Is there a business plan with admin controls?

Business versions of popular AI tools usually give you more control than free personal accounts.

Write a one-page AI policy

Keep it short enough that people actually read it:

Which tools are approved
What data must never go in
Tasks AI is good for (drafts, summaries, ideas)
A person always checks the output before it goes to a customer

Start with low-risk wins

Good first uses: drafting social posts, summarising long documents with no personal details, writing first drafts of emails and turning meeting notes into action lists. Build confidence there before connecting AI to customer data.

Know the rules

If your business is covered by the Privacy Act, the same privacy obligations apply when you use AI. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has published guidance on using commercially available AI products. Find it at oaic.gov.au.