AI chatbots have become useful tools for writing, research, studying, coding, brainstorming and solving everyday problems. Whether you use ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or another artificial intelligence assistant, it can be tempting to share a lot of information to get a more personalized response.
However, not everything should be entered into an AI chatbot.
While AI tools can be extremely useful, users should treat them carefully when dealing with personal, confidential or sensitive information. Before pasting a document, uploading a screenshot or typing private details into a chatbot, ask yourself whether you would be comfortable with that information being stored or processed by a third-party service.
Here are some types of information you should generally never give an AI chatbot.
1. Passwords and Login Credentials
Your passwords should never be entered into an AI chatbot.
This includes passwords for your email, social media accounts, online banking, cryptocurrency wallets, cloud storage and work accounts.
You should also avoid sharing one-time passwords (OTPs), authentication codes, security questions and recovery codes.
If you need help troubleshooting an account, describe the problem without revealing the credentials used to access it.
For example, instead of writing your actual password, say: “My password contains letters, numbers and special characters, but the website keeps rejecting it.”
2. Bank and Card Details
Avoid entering complete financial information into an AI chatbot.
This includes your debit or credit card number, PIN, CVV, online banking login details and transaction authentication codes.
You should also be cautious when sharing bank account numbers alongside other identifying information.
If you need assistance understanding a transaction, remove sensitive details first. You can provide a general description of the transaction without exposing information that could be used to access your account.
3. National Identification Numbers
Identity numbers are particularly sensitive because they can potentially be used to identify or impersonate you.
For users in Nigeria, this includes information such as your National Identification Number (NIN), international passport number, driver’s licence details and other government-issued identification numbers.
Do not upload a clear photograph or scan of an identity document simply because an AI chatbot says it can help you read, summarize or complete information from it.
If you need assistance with a document, redact sensitive numbers and other identifying information first.
4. Private Documents
AI chatbots can analyze documents, but that does not mean every document should be uploaded.
Be careful with confidential employment records, legal documents, contracts, medical records, financial statements, school records and documents containing information about other people.
Before uploading a document, check whether it contains names, addresses, account numbers, signatures, identification numbers or other confidential information.
When possible, remove unnecessary personal information before submitting the document.
5. Highly Sensitive Personal Information
Think carefully before sharing sensitive information about yourself or another person.
Examples can include detailed medical information, private family matters, intimate conversations, information about someone’s personal life and other information that could cause harm or embarrassment if exposed.
If you only need general advice, provide a general description rather than revealing someone’s identity or unnecessary personal details.
6. Private Information About Other People
Your privacy is not the only thing you should consider.
Avoid uploading another person’s private messages, identification documents, photographs, employment records or personal information without their permission.
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This is particularly important in workplaces, schools and businesses where documents may contain information belonging to customers, employees or students.
If you need an AI tool to analyze a document, anonymize the information first whenever possible.
7. Cryptocurrency Wallet Information
Never give an AI chatbot your cryptocurrency seed phrase or private key.
A seed phrase can potentially provide access to cryptocurrency stored in a wallet. Similarly, private keys should be treated as highly confidential credentials.
Even if you are asking an AI chatbot for help recovering or checking a wallet, do not paste your seed phrase or private key into the conversation.
A public wallet address is different from a private key, but you should still consider whether sharing it is necessary for your particular task.
8. Confidential Business Information
Employees and business owners should also be careful about what they paste into AI tools.
Confidential company strategies, unpublished financial information, customer databases, source code, internal passwords, proprietary documents and trade secrets should not be casually submitted to an AI chatbot.
Before using an AI service for work, check your organization’s policies regarding approved AI tools and confidential information.
9. Exact Home Address and Other Unnecessary Details
You generally do not need to give an AI chatbot your complete home address to ask most everyday questions.
For example, if you want advice about a local service, your city or general area may be enough.
The same principle applies to your phone number, personal email address and other contact information. If the information is not necessary to answer your question, leave it out.
10. Information That Could Be Used to Impersonate You
Be especially careful when several pieces of information are combined.
A person’s full name, date of birth, phone number, address, identification number and other personal details could create a much more complete profile than any single piece of information.
Instead of asking, “Can you help me with these details?” remove identifying information and use placeholders such as “[NAME]”, “[PHONE NUMBER]” or “[ACCOUNT NUMBER]”.
How to Use AI Chatbots More Safely
You do not have to stop using AI because of privacy concerns. The better approach is to minimize the personal information you provide.
Before submitting anything, ask:
Do I really need to share this information for the chatbot to answer my question?
If the answer is no, remove it.
You can also anonymize documents, replace names with placeholders and hide account numbers, addresses and other sensitive information before uploading files or screenshots.
It is also important to review the privacy and data controls offered by the particular AI service you use. Features and policies can differ between providers and account types.
Final Thoughts
AI chatbots can save time and make difficult tasks easier, but they should not be treated like a private vault for sensitive information.
Passwords, banking credentials, identity numbers, cryptocurrency seed phrases, confidential documents and unnecessary personal information should stay out of chatbot conversations.
The safest rule is simple: share the minimum information necessary to get the help you need.
When an AI chatbot can solve your problem without knowing who you are, where you live or what your private credentials are, there is usually no reason to provide those details.
