Tutorial 19 · 6 min read · Applies to every AI tool
Safe AI habits for small businesses
AI is a handy offsider, but it can be confidently wrong and it's not a safe place for private information. These habits keep you, your customers and your business out of trouble.
What you'll need
- Five minutes
- Your favourite AI app
Habit 1: Don't paste private stuff
Keep these out of AI tools:
- Full customer names, addresses and phone numbers (use first name + suburb)
- Bank logins, card numbers, IRD or TFN numbers
- Passwords or alarm codes
- Anything a customer told you in confidence
Habit 2: Check every number and fact
AI can get maths wrong and invent prices, rules or product details. You check prices, totals, technical and compliance details every time. Full walkthrough: the 2-minute check.
Habit 3: Never let AI sign off safety or legal work
Electrical, gas, structural, consents, contracts — use AI to help explain or draft, then rely on your own expertise, current rules and professionals.
Habit 4: Look at the privacy settings
In your AI app's settings, check whether your chats are used to train the AI and turn that off if you prefer. Business plans usually give more control. Step-by-step settings for each app: Is ChatGPT safe for business data?.
Habit 5: Your name is on it
Read everything before it goes to a customer. If it doesn't sound like you, change it.
Checklist
- ☐ No private details pasted
- ☐ Numbers and facts checked
- ☐ Safety/legal work signed off by a human
- ☐ Privacy settings reviewed
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming AI 'knows' NZ/AU rules
- Copy-pasting without reading