When you use an AI tool, it can be easy to forget what is happening behind the screen. Some AI runs on your device. Most do not. Your question is usually sent to the company’s servers, processed there, and the response is sent back to you. Nothing on screen tells you which is happening. But here’s the part that’s easy to miss: it’s not just what you typed that leaves your device.
Depending on the tool and the permissions you’ve given it, AI may also have access to information you’re reading, viewing, working with, or asking to retrieve. That information is sent to the provider’s cloud for processing. You don’t have to copy and paste something into a chatbot for it to leave your device.
What you type
This is the obvious one. You ask a question, paste some text, upload a document, or provide an image. That information is sent to the AI service so it can process the request and give you a response. It doesn’t matter whether you’re using a work laptop, home computer, or phone. And it doesn’t necessarily matter whether the AI is a website, an installed application, a feature inside another program, or something built into your keyboard. The interaction is on your device, but the processing isn’t.
What the AI can see
Modern AI tools can do much more than answer questions. Depending on the application and the permissions you’ve given it, an AI tool may be able to work with a webpage you’re viewing, the document you’re editing, the email you’re reading, the meeting you’re attending, or other information available to an application.
Consider some common examples:
- Browser extensions. An AI extension may have permission to read the webpage you’re viewing, including information contained on that page.
- AI features in familiar programs. An AI assistant inside an application may be able to access the document, email, or other content you’re working with.
- Meeting notetakers. An AI bot that joins a meeting may record and transcribe the conversation and send that information to a third party.
- Phone keyboards and assistants. Depending on their capabilities and permissions, AI-enabled keyboards and assistants may have access to what you type across different applications.
- Connected assistants. An AI application may be given access to files, email, calendars, or other services so it can perform tasks on your behalf.
The important thing to remember is that the AI doesn’t necessarily have to wait for you to type information into a prompt. If you’ve given it access, it may be able to get the information itself.