AI is a powerful tool, but used the wrong way, it can lead to information leaks, poor judgment, and declining thinking ability. To close, here's a summary of the pitfalls of "at least don't do these."
1. Don't Paste Confidential or Personal Information
Depending on the service, what you input into a free AI may be used for training or storage. In one real case, at a major company, employees pasted confidential source code and meeting content into an AI, and in just three weeks multiple leaks occurred, leading to a complete ban.
- Other people's personal information (names, contact details, national ID numbers, etc.)
- Company secrets (unreleased information, source code, contracts)
- Passwords, credit card numbers, account information
The cardinal rule is don't paste these in. If you absolutely must handle them, always confirm whether it's an enterprise plan with a "not used for training" contract.
2. Don't Offload Important Decisions
Medicine, law, taxes, money, contracts, life choices—you must not decide such important matters based on AI's answer alone. AI is a tool that offers reference opinions; it is not an entity that takes responsibility.
AI is a "consultation partner." The final decision is made by a human, after confirming the basis.
3. Don't Send It to People Without Verifying
Copy-pasting AI text as-is and sending it to a customer or your boss is dangerous. It may contain factual errors, inappropriate phrasing, or things that miss the point. Make a habit of "reading it yourself before showing it to people" (→ for details, see "The Habit of Verifying Output").
4. Don't Stop Thinking Itself
This is the most easily overlooked pitfall. If you ask AI about everything, your ability to think and judge for yourself gradually atrophies. AI is a tool that amplifies thinking, not one that takes over thinking.
- Rather than copying answers, scrutinize the answers that come out with your own mind
- Use it while understanding "why it turns out that way"
- Now and then, leave time to think with your own head alone
Summary
The people who master AI are skilled at drawing the line of what to delegate and what not to delegate. Don't get swallowed up by the convenience; keep the final initiative in your own hands. This is the knack for a long relationship with AI.