Day 25: AI at work — LearnAI

Today's idea

When you get AI to help with work, is it OK to type in confidential office or business details directly — like customers' names and addresses, or pricing figures? (tap to see)

No. Customers' personal information and an organisation's confidential information should not be given to AI. You can still get the work done — just without specific names, numbers or secrets.

Ordinary tasks can go to AI, but customer details and secret figures stay on this side of the line

When a new assistant joins an office, nobody tells them all the company secrets on day one. They're shown the work, trust builds slowly, and some information always stays with a small group of people. You can think of AI the same way — a great assistant for getting work done, but one that works within limits.

At work or in your own business, AI can help with a lot — drafting an email or a notice, summarising a long report, organising a to-do list, catching mistakes in your writing, or helping a small business write product descriptions or ad copy.

But there's one place where you should always be careful. Customers' names, phone numbers, addresses or account details, an organisation's unreleased plans or its pricing figures — never give these to AI. Being honest about using AI matters too. There's no need to hide that you took AI's help on a task. The best approach is to check the draft carefully yourself and take responsibility for it.

Try it yourself Time: 3 minutes

1.Open the Gemini or ChatGPT app.
2.Think of a small work task AI could help with, without any secret information — such as a draft email or notice.
3.Type something like this and ask:

Delete the part inside the square brackets [ ] and put your own details there.

Write me a simple draft of an email or notice about this: [write the topic, but without any person's name, customer details or figures].
4.Read the draft, change it a little into your own words, and make sure no secret or personal information has slipped into the text.

Do it together Time: 5 minutes

With anyone — a child, a parent, a friend or a colleague.

Talk with the person you're with about what jobs AI could help with at work or in a business. Then make a short list together titled "What we'll never give AI" — for example customer information, secret pricing figures, or anyone's personal number.

We did this together

Today's key point

AI can help a lot at work, but never give it customer information or your organisation's secrets, and be honest about how you use it.

Check yourself

Two quick questions from today's lesson.

1. When drafting something for work, what should you NOT give AI?

Correct answer: Customers' personal information or an organisation's secret information — customer information or an organisation's confidential matters should not be given to AI.

2. At work, which is the right approach to honesty when using AI?

Correct answer: No need to hide that you used AI's help; check it and use it responsibly — being honest about using AI, and checking it yourself and taking responsibility, is the best habit.