AI and work · 6 min read
How do I use AI at work safely?
How to use AI tools at work without risking confidential data, mistakes or your job: what not to share, how to check output, and when to disclose.
The short answer
To use AI safely at work, follow your employer's AI policy, use approved tools, never paste confidential, personal or client data into tools that aren't approved for it, check every fact, number and source before using output, and be open about AI use where it matters. Many workers use AI without telling their employer: Microsoft and LinkedIn's 2024 Work Trend Index found 78% of AI users were bringing their own tools to work, which creates data risks. If there's no policy, ask for one, and default to using AI only with non-sensitive information.
Key takeaways
- Use approved tools and follow your employer's AI policy.
- Never share confidential, personal or client data in unapproved tools.
- Check facts, numbers and sources: you're responsible for the output.
- Be open about AI use where accuracy or originality matters.
On this pageFive rules for safe AI use
Five rules for safe AI use
- Use approved tools, and check your employer's policy.
- Don't share confidential, personal or client data in unapproved tools.
- Check facts, numbers, quotes and sources.
- Keep humans responsible for decisions about people.
- Be open about AI use where it matters.
What not to share
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Personal data | Names with health, pay or performance details |
| Client information | Contracts, case details, account data |
| Confidential business data | Unreleased results, strategy, pricing |
| Security information | Passwords, system details, code with secrets |
| Regulated data | Medical records, financial data |
How to check output
- Verify facts and figures against original sources.
- Check that quoted sources exist and say what's claimed.
- Look for bias, especially in content about people.
- Read it as your own work: would you sign it?
When to disclose AI use
- Client deliverables, published content and official documents.
- Anything assessed for originality.
- Decisions affecting people, such as hiring or performance.
- When your employer or client requires it.
Illustrative example
An operations manager wants to summarise customer complaints with AI. Instead of pasting complaint emails with names into a public chatbot, she uses her company's approved enterprise tool, removes names first, checks the summary against a sample of emails, and notes in the report that AI helped summarise.
Common mistakes
- Pasting a spreadsheet of customer or employee data into a public chatbot to 'tidy it up'.
- Using AI-generated figures or quotes in a report without checking them.
- Letting AI draft performance reviews or warnings without careful human judgement.
- Uploading code containing passwords or keys to an AI assistant.
- Assuming a tool is approved because colleagues use it.
Most AI incidents at work aren't caused by sophisticated attacks but by well-meaning people trying to save time. A quick pause before pasting, asking what this data is, whether this tool is approved for it and whether you'd be comfortable explaining it to your manager, prevents most problems.
Test a future job before you train for it
A forecast can tell you which jobs are growing. It can't tell you whether you'd enjoy the work. Laddie, our AI coach, starts from the experience you already have and works through four steps with you:
- Explore: directions your experience carries into, including work that's only now taking shape as AI changes jobs.
- Try: an experiment small enough to finish this week, a small piece of the work itself.
- Learn: note which part you liked and which part you avoided, and keep it as a record of what you tried.
- Apply: when a direction turns into a job post, OffLadder CV shapes your CV for it. What you can't show yet goes back to Laddie as a short lesson, a 15-minute task and a mock interview.
Questions people ask
- Can I get fired for using ChatGPT at work?
- Possibly, if you breach your employer's policy, leak confidential data or submit inaccurate work. Many employers allow AI use within rules, so check your policy and ask if unsure.
- Is it safe to put company information into ChatGPT?
- Only if your employer has approved that tool for that kind of information, often through an enterprise version with data protections. Consumer versions may use inputs differently, so check settings and policy.
- Do I need to tell my manager I used AI?
- It depends on your workplace and the task. For important documents, client work, or anything where originality or accuracy is critical, being open is wise. Many teams now share AI use openly to learn from each other.
- What if my employer has no AI policy?
- Ask for guidance, use AI only with non-sensitive information, keep a record of how you use it, and suggest creating a policy. Data protection law still applies.
- What should a workplace AI policy include?
- Approved tools, what data can and can't be used, how to check output, when to disclose AI use, who is accountable for decisions, and how to report problems. The best policies are short, practical and updated as tools change.
- Is it okay to use AI for emails and documents?
- Usually, if the content isn't sensitive and you check the result. Watch the tone in personal or difficult messages, where AI phrasing can feel cold or generic. For anything legally or commercially significant, read it as carefully as if you'd written it yourself.
- Can AI tools leak my data?
- They can, if data is stored, used for training or exposed through a breach or misconfigured sharing. Enterprise versions usually offer stronger protections and contractual commitments. Check your tool's data settings, and assume anything entered into an unapproved tool could be seen by others.
Exercises are practice, not evidence of career fit or a qualification. How to read our guides and report a correction.
Sources
- 2024 Work Trend Index: AI at work is here. Now comes the hard part · Microsoft and LinkedIn
- Guidance on AI and data protection · Information Commissioner's Office
- AI Risk Management Framework · National Institute of Standards and Technology
How this page is written
Sources support the factual background, not a guarantee that an exercise predicts career fit. Fictional practice material is labelled. Dates record content updates; no independent expert review is implied. More about OffLadder.