Strategies for Safeguarding Your Data from Generative Artificial Intelligence

The digital world has been inundated with a wave of unparalleled innovation brought about by Generative AI. People worldwide are utilizing various applications such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Bard, DALL-E, Midjourney, and DeepMind for content creation, ideation, problem-solving, and entertainment. As per Nerdy Nav, the majority of ChatGPT users are from the United States (15.22%), with India following closely behind (6.32%).

As with any new technology, generative AI also raises privacy concerns because it processes personal data and produces potentially sensitive data. AI interactions may inadvertently collect personal information such as user names, addresses, and contact information.

For example, Google’s Bard has come under suspicion over the possibility that it has been trained on users’ Gmail data. According to Reuters, Google’s parent company Alphabet has also warned its employees not to enter confidential information into chatbots, and it is not ruling out its own Bardia.

The fact that OpenAI’s ChatGPT hasn’t gotten too far in the European Union (EU), a master of strict data regulation with only 3.98% of users worldwide, should alert us to the need to address generative AI. carefully. In fact, the first known case of a chatbot being blocked by government order happened in April when ChatGPT was banned in Italy for privacy reasons.

Why are these chatbots looking at consumer data?

According to AI/ML developers, the lack of knowledge is the main reason that prevents the development of new AI models. Like the proverbial snake that swallows its own tail, generative AI is also a great source of data for AI models, while data is the most important component in making generative AI models.

At the end of the day, AI is a technology, and like any other technology, we can take advantage of it while keeping its downsides at bay with common sense.

Mike Starr, CEO and founder of software company trackd, says: “Despite the breathless and generally ignorant predictions of AI-driven impending doom, the best way to protect your privacy is the same as always. Be careful what you do. share on social media, protect your information with multi-factor authentication, and don’t reuse passwords, and you greatly reduce your chance of compromise, AI or no AI.”

Fortunately, there are ways to protect your privacy when using these useful creative AI tools.

1. Be careful with personal information

Avoid sharing sensitive personal information on platforms that make extensive use of generative artificial intelligence. This includes information such as your full name, address, phone number or financial information.

“The power of generative AI algorithms means we now have to think twice before sharing personal information like our full name, location or personal photos online. We have to think about the potential impact of using that information,” says Nate MacLeitch, founder and CEO of QuickBlox , a cloud communication back-end platform.

“Think about what you really want to share online and securely protect your online account with two-factor authentication and/or biometrics,” advises Jan Lunter, CEO and CTO of Innovatrics, a fingerprint identification solution. “Generative artificial intelligence does not collect your personal data on purpose, but is more successful with phishing. Phishing can be helped by generative artificial intelligence, e.g. to create images, deep fakes, professional-sounding e-mails or as a chatbot that impersonates a real person. These companies have skyrocketed in recent months.”

2. Be especially careful in office work

If you use generative AI for office work or something confidential, be extra careful. There are cases of ChatGPT data being leaked.

In April, Samsung’s Semiconductor design team found this out the hard way. After the developers added the confidential code to ChatGPT twice, the chatbot adopted it as training information to use in future responses to the audience. As a solution, Samsung has built its own artificial intelligence system for its employees.

While we can’t all build ourselves a private AI system, it’s good practice to use generic identifiers or pseudonyms to interact with generative AI models instead of sharing personal information. This helps maintain a level of anonymity and prevents the generated content from being associated with your real identity.

Reporting concerns or problems is also important. We cannot take these chatbots for granted, so if you encounter privacy issues or suspect that your private information has been breached while using a generative AI service, you must definitely report the issue to the service provider and, if necessary, to the relevant regulatory authorities.

3. Use a VPN

Using a virtual private network (VPN) to anonymize user traffic can hide the user’s location and prevent AI from tracking the user online. A VPN can help by providing an encrypted connection and IP address anonymity.

When you connect to a VPN server, your real IP address is hidden and you are assigned a temporary IP address from the location of the VPN server, which helps to obscure your real identity and location, making it difficult for websites or services on your network to be tracked. functions, including the use of generative artificial intelligence.

4. Familiarize yourself with the privacy policy

It is a good idea to carefully read the generative AI privacy policy before using any platform. It is important to understand how the AI system collects, stores and potentially uses data. Look for transparency and clear information about privacy practices.

For example, in ChatGPT’s terms of use on April 10, 2023, OpenAI says:

“When you use our non-API consumer services ChatGPT or DALL-E, we may use the information you provide to improve our models.”

However, OpenAI provides an opt-out form to prevent ChatGPT or DALL-E from using the data.

It may sound boring, but sometimes looking into the details of data collection, storage, retention and sharing can surprise you. Choose services that prioritize user privacy, provide clear information about data processing and have robust security measures in place.

5. Read more about data storage and retention

Understanding data storage and retention is another important consideration. Find out how long your data is kept and whether it is linked to your identity. Ideally, it is better to choose services that have a limited data retention policy and minimize the recording of user interactions.

You can also limit data retention by clearing your chat history. If the creative AI service allows it, it is recommended to clear your chat history regularly or delete saved conversations. This reduces the amount of data extracted from your interactions that is likely to be stored or used for analysis.

These policies may also change and be updated. So stay up to date and check the notices and notices regarding data processing practices to make sure they match your privacy settings.

6. Check encryption and secure connections

Make sure that the creative AI service uses encryption to protect the data transfer between your device and the server. A good practice is to look for “https” in the URL and check if the service has security certificates.

For example, in the case of ChatGPT, OpenAI has not specified whether encryption is used in data transmission when interacting with ChatGPT. However, ChatGPT works primarily as a text-based AI model, and the conversation with ChatGPT takes place via an encrypted HTTPS connection between your device and OpenAI’s servers. This encryption helps protect data transmission.

It is recommended to study the achievements of the artificial intelligence system in processing user data and prioritizing services with a strong commitment to privacy and data protection. Reading user reviews and experiences can also help. Any red flags or other users’ privacy concerns can guide your choice.

7. Use trusted and reputable services

Using well-known and reputable creative AI platforms or service providers is also recommended. Explore the experience of the artificial intelligence system in handling user data and prioritize services that are strongly committed to privacy and data protection.

People who are more tech-savvy should also look into privacy-focused tools and browser extensions that can help secure your online activities, MacLeitch says.

“These tools can block tracking scripts, prevent data collection, or improve your privacy while browsing the Internet.”

AI or no AI, be careful

Generative AI is a new journey for many users in an exciting digital world where knowledge and content creation are at our fingertips. However, protecting privacy at this age is crucial. Consumers can protect their privacy by understanding technology, being careful with personal information, reviewing privacy policies, and using trusted services.

Additional measures such as strong passwords, regular updates, and using a VPN can further improve privacy. Still, it’s imperative to stay informed while adapting strategies as privacy risks evolve. To manage your personal data in today’s digital environment, balancing the benefits of generative AI with privacy protection is key.

By Navanwita Sachdev, The Tech Panda