If you’re a CMO, you’re likely eager to add AI and automation to your workflows so your people can focus on the real, human work that builds your brand. You know those tools can help your team eliminate repetitive tasks: summarising emails, drafting social posts, or scoring leads. But you hesitate because you wonder: Is my data really safe?
These fears are valid, but they’re also manageable. Let’s break it down:
First, know what you’re sharing
Most reputable AI tools don’t want your sensitive data. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude, for example, don’t store your information forever by default, but it depends on your settings and the vendor’s policy. Treat AI like any other vendor: read the fine print. Is your data being used to train the model? If so, your private information might resurface in other people’s outputs. Many providers now offer “enterprise” or “private” versions that keep your data siloed. Pay for the walled garden.
Second, keep the crown jewels out of the prompt or run AI on your own turf
Your prompt is what you type into an AI tool. Don’t paste full customer lists or contract details into a generic AI. Instead, feed it sanitised, general versions. Use real data only in tools you fully control.
For truly private or regulated information, like customer identities, financials, or trade secrets, consider using an open-source AI model that you run entirely on your own servers or in a private cloud. Tools like Llama or Mistral are open-source large language models you can deploy behind your firewall. This means you don’t send your data over the public internet to a third-party provider. Instead, the AI runs securely inside your own private environment. You control who accesses it, what logs are kept, and how long any data lives.
It’s more technical upfront, you’ll need IT support or a trusted partner to set it up, but you gain maximum control. Many larger companies already do this for highly confidential workflows like contract analysis, internal knowledge bases, or sensitive customer queries.
When in doubt, ask yourself: Is this data safe to send to an external vendor? If not, keep it in-house and keep your AI on a leash you hold.
Third, give your people guardrail
The biggest privacy leak is often human. Train your team on what not to share. Draft clear AI policies: what’s okay to paste, what’s off-limits, and how outputs must be reviewed before going public.
Finally, lean into productivity
When you handle privacy wisely, AI becomes a superpower. I’ve seen marketing teams cut routine tasks by half. I helped one client set up an AI-powered workflow that ran in a secure server to score incoming leads, enrich them with public data, and write draft pitches. Freeing up their team to do the human work that truly converts.
Privacy fears are real. But they shouldn’t keep you from reaping the benefits of AI. Be clear-eyed about the risks, ask your vendors hard questions, and automate smartly. When done right, AI won’t spill your secrets, it’ll help you protect them while freeing your team to think bigger, move faster, and lead the market with confidence.
Need help optimising your marketing processes? Start your Operational Excellence journey with our Ox workshops or contact [email protected] for a free 1hr call to assess your AI Automation queries.
