The account you use, the files you share, and the access you allow make all the difference. Here’s what to check first.
Our starting point: a company account, training off, and access to just the files the job needs. The entire shared drive is overdoing it.
The logo can be identical. The protection isn’t.
While the company debates whether to use AI, someone is already asking it to summarise a contract.
They have work to finish. The tool is helpful. The privacy settings are three menus deep. You can see how this goes.
Our advice: ask what people use, approve a company account, and make the rules easy to follow. Make it easy to report mistakes, too. You want to hear “I pasted the wrong file” while you can still do something about it.
of employees surveyed had uploaded sensitive company information to public AI tools.
KPMG / University of Melbourne, 2025
And that’s just “surveyed” employees... The reality is much darker.
“We use ChatGPT” tells us very little. Whose account? Which plan? Connected to what?
Reading a file to answer your prompt isn’t the same as training on it. Training reuses that content to improve future models. Your account determines whether that’s allowed, who else can read the file, and how long it stays. Pick your setup below.
ChatGPT Free, Claude Free, the Gemini app, Meta AI, Grok, DeepSeek, Perplexity
Fine for public information, brainstorming and rewriting a job advert. Keep confidential company data out.
Where the document goes
Personal sign-in
The employee uploads the file.
Provider servers
Consumer terms apply.
Assume training is on
Your chats can become training material.
A personal upgrade buys more AI. It doesn’t put your company in charge of the account.
We recommend a business workspace with training off by default and an admin who can remove access when someone leaves. A work email address alone doesn’t make an account company-managed. Neither does a receipt on an expense claim.
Your own account
Free, Go, Plus, Pro
Turn off “Improve the model for everyone” in Settings → Data Controls. Plus and Pro need this too.
A company account
Business, Enterprise, Edu
Join your company’s Business or Enterprise workspace. Check the workspace name before uploading files.
Your own account
Free, Pro, Max
Training is on unless you opt out.
Turn off “Help improve our AI models” in Settings → Privacy. Pro and Max are personal plans too.
A company account
Team, Enterprise
Use your company’s Team or Enterprise workspace. Enterprise adds custom retention and audit controls.
Training, storage and sharing are separate things. Turning off one doesn’t turn off the others.
Good. Your ChatGPT history is still stored. And submitting a thumbs-up or thumbs-down can make the associated conversation available for training. Skip feedback on sensitive chats.
Deletion takes time. It doesn’t recall a copy someone saved or undo training already started. A legal hold can also keep data past the usual deletion deadline.
Anyone with a ChatGPT share link can read it. Treat the share button like sending the conversation outside the company.
Business chats still have a history. Even the OpenAI API keeps safety logs for up to 30 days by default. Get a deletion deadline for chats, files and logs before uploading sensitive documents.
Gemini temporary chats are still kept for this long.
ChatGPT Temporary Chats can stay for safety checks.
Gemini chats reviewed by a person can stay this long, even after deletion.
Different products, different clocks. “Temporary” describes the chat experience, not instant erasure.
Start with training controls. Then check what your AI tools can connect to.
Switch off training if you use the account for work. Move company documents to the approved work account; the toggle alone doesn’t give your employer control.
Change thisSwitch it off. New chats will no longer be used to train the model.
Keep in mindYour chat history stays. Avoid thumbs-up/down feedback on sensitive chats: it can share the whole conversation for training. Codex has a separate training switch.
Menus moved? Open the current instructions.
Change thisSwitch it off to stop your new chats and coding sessions being used for model training.
Keep in mindIt won’t undo training already started. Chats flagged for safety review and conversations you submit as feedback can still be used.
It’s in your meetings, inbox, CRM and browser. Include those tools in the conversation.
Approve the bot, tell the guests, and choose who gets the transcript. Check recurring invites when someone leaves. Your calendar should not run the offboarding process.
“Allow access” can give an app a lasting key to mail, files or customer records. Require approval in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, and revoke old connections.
Clean up folders shared with everyone before an assistant makes them easier to search. Review extensions that can read page contents: the AI provider’s privacy promise doesn’t cover a separate app watching your browser.
| Tool | Training | Retention | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Chat (work account) | No | Stored in the user’s mailbox under your retention policies | Remove “everyone” access from sensitive folders. Copilot can find what the signed-in user can already read. |
| Teams meeting transcripts and Copilot recap | No | Follows Teams and Purview settings | Choose which meetings need a saved transcript, who receives it and when it expires. |
The question I keep coming back to: which apps can open your files, and how quickly can you cut them off? These failures explain why.
A ChatGPT bug in 2023 exposed other users’ chat titles and, for some subscribers, payment information.
Send only what the task needs. Provider bugs are still software bugs.
EchoLeak showed how a crafted email could make Copilot expose data. Microsoft fixed the flaw.
Keep the assistant’s reach narrow. Content it reads can contain hostile instructions.
Attackers used stolen Salesloft Drift tokens to take data from connected Salesforce accounts.
Know which apps have access and how to cut them off.
An AI subscription doesn’t cancel your existing responsibilities to customers, staff or patients.
For UK personal data, a vendor acting as your processor needs a data processing contract. For US health information covered by HIPAA, check whether a business associate agreement is required before sharing it.
Show people the approved tools and their limits. The EU’s AI literacy guidance is a useful starting point. Get specialist advice before using AI for decisions about hiring, credit or health.
SOC 2 and ISO certifications help you assess a vendor’s controls. They don’t tell you which settings your account uses. Ask for the scope, the contract and the actual configuration.
Name the owner. Name the tools. Say what stays out. Give people somewhere to ask.
Fill in the details below, adjust the rules to your business, and share them with the team. A policy works better in a conversation than in a folder called “Final_v7”.
Owner: to be named. Adopted: the date you copy or print it. Review: every six months.
Approved tools: Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat (work sign-in).
Use examples from their actual work. Leave time for questions and keep a note of who attended.
“We take security seriously” is a sentence, not an answer. Ask these five questions and get the answers in writing.
The names of every company receiving your prompts and files, plus a written no-training commitment covering both the vendor and its model providers.
We build in your cloud account or on your hardware. We use business services that exclude model training and show you which providers handle your data.
The storage and processing regions, the staff roles that can open your files, and a record of every access. “Secure cloud” is not a location.
In your account, in the region we agree with you. We keep client workflow data out of Hexaa systems. You approve our access, know who has it, and can inspect the logs.
An actual deadline for each copy: uploaded files, prompts, logs and backups. If a provider keeps nothing, ask whether that includes the app’s own database.
We agree deletion periods for files, logs and backups before launch. We remove details the model doesn’t need, and enable zero retention where supported. You can inspect the configuration in your account.
You own your inputs and outputs. The contract also says who owns the custom software, who else processes data, and what you receive if you leave.
Yes, when you use a company-managed workspace with training off and approve the kinds of documents allowed there. We recommend your own cloud account for custom workflows that need tighter control over access and storage. A personal account is the wrong home for confidential files.
No. You’re paying for more capability. Training is on unless you turn it off, and the employee still controls the account. Buy a company plan for confidential work and turn off training on personal accounts too.
Work on the assumption that they are. Ask which tools they use and what they paste in. Make it a practical conversation, not a confession. People are much more useful to you when they aren’t trying to avoid a telling-off.
No. Give people approved tools and clear limits. A blanket ban with no useful alternative encourages people to hide what they use. Block specific risky tools, and give the team a workable replacement.
Not immediately. ChatGPT normally schedules deleted chats for removal within 30 days. Gemini can keep human-reviewed chats for up to three years. Deleting a chat also won’t recall copies someone saved or undo training already started.
Yes, confidential data can leak through an AI service. Uploading a file does not instantly teach it to every other user, but training can make a model memorise information. Shared links, software bugs and connected apps are also routes out. Keep training off, share less, and limit what the assistant can access.
Company oversight
No central admin controls.
ChatGPT Plus or Pro, Claude Pro or Max, Google AI Pro, Perplexity Pro, SuperGrok
More messages, better models, bigger uploads. Still a personal account. We don’t approve confidential work just because someone bought Pro.
Where the document goes
Personal subscription
The employee pays for more usage.
Provider servers
Still a personal account.
Training still on
Paying for Pro doesn’t switch it off.
Company oversight
The account belongs to the employee.
ChatGPT Business or Enterprise, Claude Team or Enterprise, Gemini in Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Chat
Our default for everyday work. Staff join a workspace your company manages, with business terms and central access controls.
Where the document goes
Work sign-in
The employee joins your workspace.
Business workspace
Your business agreement applies.
Training off
Chats still get stored. Set a deletion period.
Your administrator
Adds staff, removes leavers and manages settings.
Any product that uses the OpenAI, Anthropic or Google business API behind the scenes, including document automation software
Two companies handle your data: the app vendor and the model provider. We want a no-training promise from both.
Where the document goes
Your team
Works in the vendor’s product.
Vendor software
Chooses what to send to the model.
Model provider
Processes the prompt; can also keep safety logs.
Your agreement
Covers both companies’ handling of your data.
Azure OpenAI in Microsoft Foundry, Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud
Use models through your company’s cloud account. We recommend this for custom document workflows: your team controls access, storage and the application.
Where the document goes
Your application
Sends the content needed for the task.
Your cloud account
Your team configures the deployment.
Separate safety logs
Review and logging need their own controls.
Your administrators
Control access, configuration and keys.
An open model such as Llama, Gemma or Mistral running on a server in your building, for example with Ollama
Run the model on your own server. Choose this when data must stay inside your network and you have an IT team to run it.
Where the document goes
Your team
Uses an app on your network.
Your own server
Runs the model locally.
Local processing
Disable cloud features and outside connections.
Your IT team
Patches, secures and backs up the system.
Our recommendation: a company-managed plan for everyday work. Use your own cloud account when you need control over storage, permissions and the workflow. Keep it on your own hardware when the data must stay inside your network.
Your own account
Gemini app, Google AI plans
Training is on by default for adults.
Open Activity and turn off “Keep Activity”. Paying for Google AI Pro doesn’t switch it off.
A company account
Eligible Google Workspace plans
No training outside your company without permission.
Use Gemini with your work account on an eligible Workspace plan. Ask your admin to set the chat deletion period.
Your own account
Copilot with a personal account
No foundation-model training in the current app.
That covers prompts, answers and files. Use a work account for company documents so your admin controls access.
A company account
Microsoft 365 Copilot / Copilot Chat
Sign in with your work account and look for the enterprise data protection shield. A personal sign-in doesn’t qualify.
Check what you already pay for. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace include AI with business data protection on eligible plans. Ask your admin which tools are included and get access before paying for another subscription.
Menus moved? Open the current instructions.
Change thisTurn it off to stop new chats being saved to activity or used for training. Don’t submit feedback on sensitive chats.
Keep in mindGoogle still keeps new chats for 72 hours. Chats already read by a human reviewer can stay for up to three years.
Menus moved? Open the current instructions.
Change thisThe current Copilot app already excludes prompts, answers and files from foundation-model training. Switch this off if you still use the older app.
Keep in mindThis is a personal account. Your employer cannot remove its chat history or manage it when you leave. Use your work sign-in for company files.
Menus moved? Open the current instructions.
Change thisSwitch it off. Despite the name, this is the opt-out for using your searches to train AI.
Keep in mindIt stops future collection for training. Data collected before you opted out stays under the previous terms.
Menus moved? Open the current instructions.
Prioritise work sign-ins, approval for connected apps, and meeting recording rules. Then review existing access. Closing the front door doesn’t collect the spare keys.
Change thisBlock personal Microsoft sign-ins on your managed work devices and network. Have IT deploy tenant restrictions v2.
Keep in mindThis is a device and network control. It does not stop someone using a personal phone on home Wi-Fi.
Menus moved? Open the current instructions.
Change thisRequire admin approval before an app can read company mail, calendars or files.
Keep in mindRevoke old app permissions too. Turning off new approvals leaves existing connections active.
Menus moved? Open the current instructions.
| Gemini in Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Meet) | No | 90 days to indefinite, set by admins | Set a history limit. Check who receives Meet notes, especially external guests. |
|---|
| Zoom AI Companion | No | Model providers: zero. Chat history has its own auto-delete setting. | Limit who can enable summaries and who receives them. Set a chat deletion period. |
|---|
| Slack AI | Generative AI: opt-in only | Model providers do not retain | Keep generative training opt-in off. Ask your workspace owner to opt out of Slack’s separate global-model training too. |
|---|
| Notion AI | No | Model providers: up to 30 days; zero by default on Enterprise | Remove broad access to sensitive pages. The assistant follows existing page permissions. |
|---|
| HubSpot Breeze | Yes, by default | No fixed deletion deadline in the linked policy | Have a Super Admin switch off AI Model Training under Settings → Account Management → AI. |
|---|
| Otter.ai | Yes | "as long as necessary" | Keep it out of confidential meetings. Disable auto-join and use an approved note-taker instead. |
|---|
| Fireflies.ai | No | Zero retention for meeting content with its vendors | Approve the bot before it joins. Restrict transcript sharing and delete recordings you no longer need. |
|---|
| Salesforce Einstein and Agentforce | No | Zero retention with model providers | Limit CRM access and confirm which fields are masked before sending prompts. |
|---|
| Atlassian Intelligence and Rovo | No | Providers store nothing | Review access to private projects and connected sources before enabling search across them. |
|---|
| Adobe Acrobat AI Assistant | No | Extracted document content cached for up to 12 hours; saved files are separate | Approve it for the document types your team handles. Delete saved cloud files when you no longer need them. |
|---|
“No training” doesn’t mean “no storage”. Where only the model provider keeps nothing, the app can still save your chats, files or recordings.
Your inputs, outputs and the custom work we build for you belong to you. We put that in the contract, sign an NDA before receiving confidential files, and agree the data processing terms.
A demonstration: show the settings, open the access log, export a file and explain how to disconnect the vendor. A promise on a slide is cheaper.
You own the account and keys. You can read the settings and access logs, audit us, and remove our access without losing your data. Hexaa is ISO 27001:2022 certified.
Looking at document automation? Bring your IT lead and a workflow. We’ll walk through where the data goes and who controls it.
Change thisSet whether meeting Copilot can run without saving a transcript, or requires one. Don’t record every meeting just because you can.
Keep in mindSet who can record, who gets the transcript and when it expires. Turning off Copilot alone doesn’t turn off recording.
Menus moved? Open the current instructions.
Change thisBlock unapproved apps from Gmail, Drive and Calendar. Allow only the apps your company has reviewed.
Keep in mindReview the apps already connected. Start with anything that can read all mail or all files.
Menus moved? Open the current instructions.
Change thisChoose which teams get Gemini and set how long their conversation history stays.
Keep in mindMeet notes are files in Drive. Set who receives them and when they are deleted too.
Menus moved? Open the current instructions.
Change thisHave a Super Admin turn this off. HubSpot’s training switch is on by default.
Keep in mindThen restrict which CRM records the assistant can read. Switching off training doesn’t remove its access to customer data.
Menus moved? Open the current instructions.
Change thisAsk Microsoft for modified abuse monitoring. After approval, confirm ContentLogging is false: Azure is no longer saving your prompts for human review.
Keep in mindThis is an approval process, not a switch anyone can flip. Automated safety checks still run. Turn off prompt logging in your own application too.
Menus moved? Open the current instructions.
OpenAI (ChatGPT)
Anthropic (Claude)
Google (Gemini)
