How to Use AI Tools Privately and Securely

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AI tools have rapidly become part of daily life, offering advanced capabilities in communication, automation, and content creation. One of the latest AI sensations is DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company and app that has recently surged in popularity, quickly becoming the number one app in app stores. Its open-source models appeal to tech-savvy users who can run them on private servers, but the majority rely on the app itself, raising concerns about data privacy and security. Many fear that personal information could be transmitted to China, prompting broader discussions about AI security risks.

However, privacy concerns aren’t limited to DeepSeek AI . AI applications from US-based companies, such as OpenAI ’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, and Microsoft Copilot also collect user data, sometimes retaining it for model training. As AI tools become more deeply integrated into our digital lives, understanding their privacy implications is crucial.

This article examines the security risks associated with AI tools and provides practical tips to help users protect their data while leveraging AI’s benefits.

Understanding the Risks

While AI tools are convenient, they also introduce security and privacy concerns. Here are some of the main risks:

1. Data Privacy Issues:

Many AI tools collect and store user inputs to improve their models. If users input sensitive data, it could be retained and potentially accessed.

2. Phishing & Social Engineering:

Cybercriminals can use AI-generated content to create sophisticated phishing emails or deepfake videos to deceive users.

3. Data Leakage:

Some AI applications may inadvertently expose confidential information, either through model training leaks or user-generated outputs.

4. Malicious Use of AI:

Hackers leverage AI for automated cyberattacks, such as brute-force password guessing, fraud detection evasion…