How Security Teams Can Vet an AI Assistant Before Staff Paste in Customer Data

Multiple online sources state that, as of the end of 2026, 78% of companies worldwide report using AI. And we’re not surprised.

AI can do absolutely everything, but we’re still in the stage where not everyone knows how to use it correctly, especially when it comes to internal staff use and sharing company data.

But if security teams vet an AI assistant before using it, they reduce risks to consumer data safety. Read on to learn more.

Why Security Teams Should Vet an AI Assistant

There are several reasons security teams should vet an AI assistant before allowing staff to paste in customer data. The main reasons are as follows:

• Reduce the risk of customer data exposure: Customer data is often sensitive, including names, addresses, payment information, and confidential records. Depending on the AI platform and how it uses information, submitting that type of consumer data could lead to full exposure. Open Worldwide Application Security Project identified sensitive information disclosure as one of its Top 10 LLM security risks for 2025.
• To understand how AI providers use data: It should be relatively easy to find out how AI uses data, especially if it uses the information for model training. There’s then the opportunity to find an AI provider that doesn’t use or sell consumer data.
• Check security features: You can check for encryption and access controls, for example, as well as data retention periods and deletion policies. Each AI platform has specific security features.
• Review regulatory requirements: Consumer data sharing can trigger obligations under HIPAA and state privacy laws, so it’s a good opportunity to check.

Do all of that so you can choose an AI provider for your staff to use. Each has different features and ways of using your data, so the best option depends on what you find during your investigation.

Should Customer Data Ever Be Pasted Into AI?

Realistically, it depends on the information and the tool. Customer data shouldn’t be automatically prohibited on every AI platform, but your security teams should decide what to process and which tools to use, with appropriate safeguards.

And there should always be contractual agreements. Consumers have to know what you’re doing with their data.

Ideally, if you are pasting customer data into AI, staff should replace customer names with anonymous identifiers and remove contact information or account numbers before using AI. 

And some information will require safeguards. For example, healthcare organizations subject to HIPAA generally need a business associate agreement (BAA) when an outside cloud provider processes protected health information on their behalf.

How Security Teams Can Oversee How Staff Manage Customer Data and AI

Once an AI platform is selected, the rest is about security teams managing how staff use consumer data and AI. One of the best ways is to establish clear AI usage policies and provide training. Ideally, the training should be regular. 

Policies should clearly state which consumer data employees can share and which platforms are approved. You can include clear examples of customer records (anonymized), financial details, or internal business documents to show staff what can and can’t be used.

Training should also focus on responsible AI use, with it made clear to staff how AI providers access information and how to recognize sensitive data.

Policy revisions and ongoing training are essential.

Vetting an AI assistant is smart when customer data is involved. Data, in general, is more sensitive than ever, and this active approach can help reduce the risk of everything from identity fraud to cyberattacks.

But more than that, it’s about ensuring that security teams properly train staff so that they know what to do with data.