Stop AI stealing your face
AI tools are fantastic, but you must use them privately. Jonathan Parkyn explains how to stop them collecting personal data such as your photos and what you type
As we noted in Issue 711’s Cover Feature (page 50), AI-powered tools, chatbots and image generators can be a great way to save time, spark ideas and make life a lot easier. But not everyone is comfortable letting an AI tool into their lives. Many people are concerned that they collect sensitive information that you type and use your photos to train themselves.
Different AI companies have their own privacy policies, data practices and terms of use. Some don’t store anything you type or upload, while others do. Some have clear opt-out settings, while others offer little transparency. Under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, images of your face are considered biometric data and should require explicit consent, but it’s often not clear how strictly AI companies adhere to this.
As a general rule, don’t share any personal information with a chatbot that you wouldn’t be comfortable handing to a stranger. That includes information within your text conversations and voice commands, as well as documents and photos you upload. Even if you disable all the settings we suggest below, confidential content can linger somewhere inside the AI company’s backups, or find its way into the wrong hands via a data breach.