KKN Gurugram Desk | As AI chatbots like ChatGPT become our go-to assistants for quick answers and everyday help, it’s crucial to use them responsibly. Experts warn that oversharing sensitive information with AI tools can lead to privacy breaches, misinformation, or even financial loss. Here are five critical things you should never share with ChatGPT—or any AI chatbot.

1. Personal Identifiable Information (PII)

Your name, full address, phone number, email, or ID numbers are sensitive pieces of personal information. Privacy advocates emphasize that sharing such details—even casually—can lead to identity theft, doxxing, or manipulation .

One privacy expert likens it to “handing your wallet to a stranger.” AI chatbots can store inputs or inadvertently leak them in responses to other users. Even OpenAI’s terms recommend users avoid sharing personal info because these conversations may be reviewed or used to train the AI .

2. Financial and Banking Details

Never share credit/debit card numbers, account credentials, digital wallet logins, or tax-IDs. Norton warns that such data is “like handing over your wallet” and can be exploited for unauthorized transactions or scams .

Arming a chatbot with your financial data isn’t secure; these tools aren’t designed for financial safety. Experts recommend treating AI deliveries like social media — avoid inputting any detail that could lead to identity theft .

3. Login Credentials and Passwords

Avoid sharing your usernames, email logins, or passwords with any chatbot. Attackers can exploit those to compromise your online accounts—leading to stolen data, ransomware, or worse .

Instead, use a password manager that generates strong credentials. Experts emphasize never storing sensitive access in a chat—this is a core cybersecurity best practice .

4. Company & Workplace Secrets

Business professionals often use AI for drafting emails, analyzing data, or generating code. But sharing proprietary documents, client details, project strategies, or non-disclosure information can risk corporate leaks or legal violations.

High-profile incidents like Samsung’s internal code exposure led them to ban AI tools in offices . Both Norton and Corporate guidelines recommend never sharing workplace-sensitive info with AI to prevent unintended data exposure .

5. Personal Medical or Mental Health Data

You might search AI for quick health advice—but AI chatbots aren’t doctors. They lack the accreditation and data protection (like HIPAA in the US) necessary for handling medical data securely .

McAfee-style guides explicitly advise against sharing diagnoses, medication lists, or emotional struggles with general-purpose chatbots. Experts echo that AI can give inappropriate or harmful suggestions, especially for mental health .

6. Extra Risk: Intellectual Property & Confidential Creative Work

Although not always listed, it’s wise to treat your unpublished writing, inventions, or code like confidential info. Bitdefender and AgileBlue warn that AI providers often train models on user input—so anything you paste might end up surfacing elsewhere .

Why You Must Use Caution with AI Tools

 Privacy is Not Absolute

Even though companies use encryption, bots aren’t bound by medical- or legal-level confidentiality. OpenAI, for instance, keeps transcripts for model training and may allow staff review .

 AI Can “Hallucinate” or Leak Other Users’ Data

AI lack human common sense. They may accidentally reveal private info from training or misattribute content to another user—further proving the risk of oversharing .

Bots Tend to Agree

AI systems are trained to please. That means they might flatter users or reinforce flawed assumptions—potentially dangerous in advice contexts .

Malicious Attacks and Social Engineering

Hackers are exploring ways to exploit these tools for phishing or scams. A Cornell study noted that bots could be manipulated to reveal private data if tricked .

Best Practices for Safe AI Usage

1. Use “Incognito” or private modes and activate the “don’t save history” option where available .

2. Regularly delete conversation history (OpenAI deletes after ~30 days) .

3. Avoid sensitive topics—never share banking, health, identity, or proprietary info.

4. Rely on trusted professionals for medical, legal, or financial advice.

5. Educate yourself—read privacy policies and learn about features like data opt-out and encryption settings.

Parents, Children & Mental Health: Extra Precautions

Experts caution that kids are especially vulnerable to AI-generated misinformation or bias . Adolescents may treat AI like counselors—research shows many chatbots lack safeguards and might endorse harmful behavior .

AI chatbots like ChatGPT can serve as powerful assistants—but they are not invincible. Oversharing can lead to data exposure, identity theft, misinformation, or corporate leaks.

The rule of thumb: Don’t share what you wouldn’t share on social media. Keep your interactions public-safe: no passwords, no financials, no private data. Evaluate answers critically, and rely on humans for professional guidance.

Staying informed and cautious will allow you to harness AI’s benefits—without compromising your privacy or security.