Mrs H was showing me a recipe on her phone the other day when a pop-up appeared asking if she wanted an “AI assistant” to summarize the cooking steps for her. She turned to me, raised an eyebrow, and said, “Do I really need a robot to tell me how to chop an onion?”
It made me laugh, but it’s a sentiment a lot of us share right now.
It feels like every app, device, and website is suddenly forcing Artificial Intelligence (AI) into our faces. Between the dramatic news headlines and pop-ups appearing on every screen, it’s completely natural to feel a bit sceptical—or even genuinely concerned—about what all this automated tech is doing with our personal details, family photos, or business files.
The question I often get asked at the moment is – “If I use these AI tools, where’s my private information actually going?”
Whether you’re using tech for everyday family life or running a business, you don’t need to be an expert to stay safe. Here are three simple rules to keep you in control…
1) Treat free AI like a public noticeboard: Free web-based AI tools often use whatever text you type into them to train their systems. Never enter passwords, bank details, home addresses, or confidential customer files.
2) Check your privacy and business settings: Business-grade tools (like Microsoft 365 Copilot) keep your company data strictly private, while free consumer apps often default to sharing data. Take a moment to check the privacy or “data training” toggles in the apps you use.
3) Beware of AI-powered scams: Cybercriminals are now using AI to write remarkably convincing, typo-free scam emails and fake text messages. Always double-check unexpected requests for money, gift cards, or password resets—even if the message sounds completely genuine.
If you have zero interest, and fall into the camp of – “I don’t want anything to do with AI thank you very much,” and just want your devices to work the way they used to, that’s completely fine! You don’t have to adopt every new trend.
To keep AI off your screens as much as possible, here’s how to minimize it….
1) Turn off AI assistants: You can disable integrated features like Copilot in Windows and Office or smart typing suggestions in your browser and phone settings.
2) Ignore the pop-ups: Most in-app AI features are optional. You can safely dismiss or decline prompts asking to “summarize,” “rewrite,” or “generate” content.
3) Lock down permissions: Turning off optional diagnostic and feature-sharing toggles in your operating system helps prevent your devices from sending data back for feature testing.
Key takeaway: AI should make your life easier, not compromise your privacy.
Whether you choose to use these tools or turn them off entirely, your data and preferences should always remain under your control.
