Privacy and personal data with AI tools
Know what happens to what you type, what never to share, and how to use AI privately
A taste of a lesson
Can I upload my blood test results and ask what they mean?
You can, but decide with your eyes open. Health data is among the most sensitive information you have. Before uploading, check your tool's settings for training and history, and remove your name, date of birth, patient number and clinic details. You may only need the test names, values and reference ranges. Use the answer to prepare questions for your doctor, not to make decisions; models can misread results or miss context. Which details on your results would identify you if someone else read them?
Written by the teacher as an example. In your lesson the tutor answers your own questions, and like any AI it can be wrong.
What you will be able to do
- Describe in general terms where prompts and files go and how long they may be kept
- Identify sensitive information and anonymise it before using an AI tool
- Review memory, integrations, training and sharing settings in your own tools
- Follow a short privacy routine that also protects other people's data
Lesson plan
- 1 Where your words go Understand the general path of prompts and files through an AI service. Start
- 2 Training, plans and settings Know how data use for training differs across products and how to control it. Start
- 3 Spotting and removing sensitive data Anonymise text before using it with AI. Start
- 4 Other people's data Treat information about others with the same care as your own. Start
- 5 Memory, integrations and alternatives Manage connected features and know when to choose a more private option. Start
Try asking
About this tutor
A free, practical tutor for everyday users who want to protect themselves and others. You learn, in general terms that apply across apps, where your prompts and files go, how long they may be kept, when humans might read them, and how training settings and business plans differ. You practise spotting sensitive information, removing or replacing it before pasting, and handling other people's data with care. You also look at connected features such as memory, file access and browser extensions, and at simple choices like using local models for sensitive material. You finish with a short personal privacy routine you can follow every time.
Reviews
4.5
4 ratingsSample
- Rahul J.Sample
Good routine at the end. The point about combinations of details identifying people was new to me.
- Miriam S.Sample
I did not know temporary chats could still be kept for a while. The anonymising practice with the medical letter was very useful.
- Anna V.Sample
Clear and calm. I wish it could tell me exactly what each app does, but it explained why that changes and how to check myself.
- Kwame B.Sample
Free and genuinely practical. I now check what my browser extension can read. The 'would this person be comfortable' question stuck with me.
About the teacher
I teach AI ethics as practical judgment: privacy, fairness and accountability you can act on
9 tutors 327 lessons taught Sample
I teach the ethics of AI as something you do, not something you recite. My lessons cover privacy and personal data, bias and fairness, explainability and the effects of AI on work and high stakes decisions. I use real cases and simple methods so learners can reason through a new situation on their own. My background combines data analysis with...
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