How to Tighten Privacy on AI Tools: A Practical Guide

Intro

If you use ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, or any large language model, you’ve probably noticed the convenience of having a smart assistant that remembers context, suggests replies, or drafts documents. What’s less obvious is how much of your input gets stored, shared, or used to train future models.

The World Economic Forum recently highlighted that many users overlook privacy settings in AI tools, which increases exposure to data breaches and cyber threats. The good news: you don’t need to stop using these tools. You just need to adjust a few controls.

What Happened

In June 2026, the World Economic Forum published an article titled “How to update data privacy tools to cut cybersecurity risk in the AI era.” It pointed out that as AI adoption accelerates, the amount of personal and business data flowing through these platforms has grown faster than many users’ awareness of privacy risks. Reports from cybersecurity researchers have also shown that leaked credentials and misconfigured settings can expose conversation histories, files, and even API keys.

Why It Matters

AI platforms rely on large datasets to improve. That often includes your conversations, uploaded documents, and usage patterns. If those datasets are breached—or if third-party plugins access more data than they should—your private information can end up in the wrong hands. Even if you trust the provider, a compromised account (for example, through phishing or weak passwords) can give an attacker access to everything you’ve typed into the tool. Updating a few settings dramatically reduces that surface area.

What Readers Can Do

Below are six concrete steps you can take today. Most take less than five minutes. Not every platform offers every option, so check the specific settings page for the tool you use.

1. Audit What Data You’ve Already Shared

Log into your AI tool’s account settings. Look for a section labeled “Data controls,” “Privacy,” or “Account history.” Many platforms let you view past conversations or uploaded files. Get a sense of what’s there. If you see anything sensitive—passwords, personal IDs, financial details—delete it. Most services allow bulk deletion.

2. Disable Training on Your Data

By default, some providers use your conversations to improve their models. This means your inputs become part of the training set. You can usually opt out.

  • ChatGPT (OpenAI): Settings → Data Controls → “Improve the model for everyone” → toggle off.
  • Microsoft Copilot: Account settings → Privacy → “Use my data to improve Copilot” → toggle off.
  • Google Gemini: Settings → “Gemini Apps activity” → turn off or auto-delete after a short period.

When you disable training, your data is still stored temporarily to provide the service, but it’s not used to retrain the model.

3. Turn Off Chat History or Use Ephemeral Mode

Most AI tools now offer a “temporary” or “incognito” mode that doesn’t save your conversation history. For example, ChatGPT’s “Temporary Chat” option (available in the web and mobile app) discards the chat after the session ends. Microsoft Copilot has a “No History” toggle in some contexts. Google Gemini allows you to turn off “Gemini Apps activity” entirely.

Enabling ephemeral mode means the tool won’t build a profile of your interests, and if your account is compromised, the attacker won’t see past conversations.

4. Review Third-Party Permissions

Plugins, extensions, and connected apps can access your AI tool’s data. A seemingly harmless plugin might have permission to read all your chats. Go to the integrations or plugin settings page and revoke access for anything you don’t actively use. Be especially careful with tools that request “read all conversations” or “access files.”

5. Use a VPN or a Privacy-Focused Browser When Accessing AI Tools

While not a substitute for in-app settings, using a VPN prevents your internet service provider or anyone on your network from seeing that you’re querying an AI service. A privacy-focused browser like Firefox (with tracking protection on) or Brave can also block certain third-party trackers that AI tools embed for analytics. This adds a layer of separation between your browsing habits and your AI usage.

6. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

If an attacker gets your password, they can access your entire AI history—especially if you’ve left training enabled and chat history on. Most major AI platforms now support 2FA via an authenticator app or SMS. Enable it in your account security settings. This is the single most effective step against account takeover.

Make It a Routine

Privacy isn’t a one-time fix. Set a calendar reminder every three months to recheck these settings. Platforms update their policies and add new features regularly. A setting that was in one place last year might have moved or changed its default behavior.

By taking these small, focused actions, you can keep using AI tools while significantly reducing your cybersecurity risk.

Sources

  • World Economic Forum, “How to update data privacy tools to cut cybersecurity risk in the AI era,” June 2026.
  • OpenAI ChatGPT privacy settings documentation (help.openai.com).
  • Microsoft Copilot privacy controls (support.microsoft.com).
  • Google Gemini privacy settings (myactivity.google.com).