Not all the information we handle at work has the same value or requires the same level of protection. It may seem obvious, but when we use an AI tool, that boundary can become less clear. Copying and pasting is so quick that we rarely stop to think about what lies behind that text.
A gesture that takes barely a few seconds may mean that we have just entered information into an external tool about a product we have not yet launched, a technical development, code, a commercial strategy or documentation belonging to a client.
Generative artificial intelligence offers enormous possibilities for companies, but it is also creating a new information leakage point that many organisations have not yet identified as such.
And the solution is not to ban AI, but to learn how to use it without giving away along the way what makes the company different.
Not everything we know should leave the company
Companies are accustomed to protecting certain spaces and, for example, it would never occur to them to hand over the plans for a prototype to a stranger or publish their commercial strategy for the next two years on a website.
However, that perception of risk changes when there is a text box in front of us.
We may end up sharing technical specifications, source code, R&D documentation, designs or prototypes, commercial information, databases, client documentation or information about products that have not yet reached the market.
Individually, they may seem like data of little importance; the problem is that together they can represent a significant part of the company’s knowledge and competitive advantage.
The traffic light before pressing «send»
It is not the same to ask for help with content that has already been published on the company’s website as it is to upload an internal report, a proposal for a client or details of a product that we are still developing.
Therefore, before sharing information with an AI tool, it can be useful to ask yourself a very simple question: what would happen if this document left the company?
If we are talking about public information, general data or content that anyone can access, the risk will normally be lower.
If, on the other hand, we are dealing with internal documentation, reports, procedures or commercial information, it is worth thinking twice. Perhaps the tool does not need to know the entire document to help us. We can remove names, summarise the information or remove any data that is not necessary to obtain the answer we are looking for.
And there is information with which we should be especially cautious, for example, a prototype that we have been working on for months, a technical solution that is not yet protected, code, a trade secret, a strategy that has not yet been made public or confidential client documentation.
In these cases, the ease of copying and pasting should not make us forget the value of what we are sharing. Before doing so, it is necessary to know what tool we are using, what happens to the information we enter into it and what rules have been established by the company itself.
The problem can arise before filing a patent
There is also a particularly relevant issue for innovative companies.
During the development of a product or technical solution, there may be information for which confidentiality is essential to its future protection.
Using external tools without proper consideration to analyse documentation, look for improvements or work on that innovation can create unnecessary risks.
Therefore, the protection of innovation should not begin when the product is finished, but should accompany the entire development process.
The company needs its own rules
There is no need to write a hundred-page manual. For many SMEs, it may be enough to start by answering five questions:
- Which AI tools are authorised?
- What information must not be entered into them?
- Which documentation must be anonymised?
- Who can answer questions?
- Which uses require prior review?
These rules must be accompanied by training. There is little point in establishing that confidential information must not be shared if the team does not know how to identify what information falls into that category.
Innovation is also protected by a «do not paste here» rule
For years, we have talked about patents, trademarks, designs, confidentiality agreements or trade secrets; all of them remain essential.
But new digital habits require us to add another layer of protection: deciding what information we share with the tools we use every day.
At the Oficina Económica de Galicia, companies and self-employed professionals can rely on specialists in innovation protection to analyse what assets they have, how to protect them and what measures they can take to reduce risks.
Before copying a document into an AI tool, there is a very simple question that can prevent more than one problem: if this information left the company, would I be concerned?
If the answer is yes, it is worth thinking about it before pressing «send».
If your SME wants to identify and strengthen its competitive advantages compared with larger companies, request advice and the Oficina Económica de Galicia will help you define the most appropriate strategy for your business.
