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Safety

Keeping your personal information safe when you use AI chatbots

Five simple habits that let you get the benefits of AI assistants without oversharing.

By the Kitchen Table AI team · November 2026 · 4 min read

AI chatbots feel like a private conversation, but what you type is sent to a company's servers and may be stored. A few habits keep you on the safe side.

  • Leave out identifiers. No ID numbers, bank details, passwords or full addresses. Use placeholders.
  • Check the settings. Many services let you turn off chat history or opt out of your conversations being used to improve their models.
  • Be careful with photos and documents. Crop or blur personal details before uploading.
  • Use official apps. Fake “AI assistant” apps and browser extensions exist. Download from official stores and the provider's website.
  • Think about other people. Don't paste other people's private messages or details without good reason.

None of this means avoiding AI. It's the same common sense you'd use with any online service — just applied to a tool that's very easy to talk to.

Try today: Open the settings of the AI assistant you use most and check how your chat history is stored and used. Change anything you're not comfortable with.
Want more prompts like this? The Kitchen Table AI Handbook has 42 copy-paste prompts for meals, admin, travel, family and staying safe.