The Golden Rule
Never enter employee data, client information, financial records, passwords, proprietary strategies, or any personally identifiable information (PII) into a free-tier AI tool.
1 How Free AI Tools Handle Your Data
| Tool |
Training on Your Data? |
Key Detail |
| NotebookLM |
No |
Does not train on uploads. Workspace users get enterprise protection. |
| ChatGPT |
Yes by default |
Must opt out via Settings > Data Controls. |
| Claude |
User chooses |
Set during signup or in Privacy Settings. |
| Gemini |
Yes by default (free) |
Workspace Education and Enterprise tiers exempt. |
| Perplexity |
Yes |
Enterprise Pro offers zero-data-retention. |
2 5 Rules Before Using Any Free AI Tool
-
1
Check your settings
Find the data training toggle and turn it off.
-
2
Anonymize first
Strip names, dates, and identifying details before pasting content.
-
3
Use temporary/incognito modes
When available, use sessions that don't save your conversation history.
-
4
Understand privacy vs. confidentiality
Not training on your data does not mean no human review. These are separate guarantees.
-
5
Know your organization's AI policy
Before using any tool with work content, check what your employer permits.
3 When to Invest in Paid Tiers
Client & Confidential Files
Processing client files or confidential documents requires enterprise-grade protection.
Contractual Guarantees
Need contractual guarantees that your data will never be used for training.
Compliance Requirements
Need audit logs, admin controls, or compliance certs (SOC 2, GDPR).
Embedded Workflows
Want AI embedded in existing workflows (e.g., Microsoft 365 Copilot).
Need help developing an AI acceptable use policy for your organization?
We can help. Visit unconstrained.co