How Can Companies Protect Sensitive Information When Using AI?

Companies can protect sensitive information when using AI by taking a comprehensive approach to security, privacy, and governance. This starts with implementing strong data protection measures tailored to AI systems, including encrypting information, controlling access, and tracking the provenance of datasets. Privacy-preserving techniques such as anonymisation help reduce exposure, while securing the data supply chain ensures that only trusted and verified information is used for training or analysis.

Equally important is careful management of AI vendors. Companies should conduct thorough due diligence, verify compliance with relevant regulations, and establish clear contractual terms regarding data usage, security responsibilities, and ongoing audits. Limiting the amount of data shared with external providers further minimises risk.

Investing in specialised AI security and privacy tools can provide real-time monitoring, threat detection, and automated compliance oversight, helping organisations respond proactively to emerging risks. Strong access controls, governance frameworks, and continuous oversight of AI models and training data are also essential to ensure only authorised personnel can interact with sensitive information.

Finally, companies should test their AI systems rigorously, including adversarial testing and penetration assessments, to identify vulnerabilities and strengthen resilience against malicious manipulation. Taken together, these measures create a layered, proactive approach that protects sensitive data while enabling organisations to leverage AI safely and responsibly.