The Question No One Asks About AI Tools (But Should)

Every week, without fail, I have some version of the same conversation.

It might be at a networking event. It might be with a client. Sometimes it’s friends or family.

I mention that I work with AI, and almost immediately, the response is:

“Oh! Have you seen this new tool?"

"There’s one that makes presentations now."

"I just tried something that rewrites emails, it’s amazing.”

And honestly? They’re not wrong. The tools are impressive. New ones seem to pop up daily, each promising to save time, boost productivity, or make us smarter overnight.

Eventually, though, I ask a simple follow-up question:

“What’s their data policy?”

About 99 out of 100 times, I get a blank stare.

We’re Optimizing for Cool, Not Careful

Somewhere along the way, we got used to the idea that tech companies collect everything.

Google knows where we go. Amazon knows what we buy. Meta knows more about our habits than we probably do.

So when AI tools ask us to paste in emails, documents, spreadsheets, or ideas, we barely pause. It feels normal.

But AI changes things.

Now we’re not just giving away data to get better ads served to us; we’re feeding systems.

What Are You Actually Putting Into That Tool?

When professionals use AI casually, they’re often sharing:

• Customer emails and conversations

• Internal documents or operational data

• Personal information

• Proprietary processes

• Intellectual property

• Early-stage ideas that are the business

In many cases, that data doesn’t just help generate an answer; it may be stored, logged, reviewed, or used to train future models, depending on the tool and its terms.

And most people have no idea which is which.

“I Trust the Tool” Isn’t a Strategy

I hear this a lot:

“I’m sure it’s fine.” “Everyone’s using it.” “I trust them.”

Trust is not governance. And convenience is not due diligence.

The uncomfortable truth is this: once data leaves your environment, you no longer control it unless the agreement explicitly says you do.

That’s true whether you’re:

• A solo professional

• A small business owner

• Or part of a large enterprise

The risk just scales differently.

This Isn’t About Fear. It’s About Responsibility.

I’m not anti-AI. Far from it.

AI can be an incredible advantage when used thoughtfully. But “thoughtful” means slowing down just enough to ask better questions:

• Does this tool train on my data by default?

• Can I opt out?

• Who owns the outputs?

• Where is the data stored?

• What happens if I stop using the tool?

You don’t need to be a lawyer to care about this. You just need to care about your customers, your business, and your future.

The Real Skill Isn’t Finding Tools, It’s Making Informed Choices

We’ve become very good at discovering what AI can do.

Now we need to get better at deciding what we should allow it to do.

Reading user agreements and data policies isn’t exciting. It doesn’t demo well. It won’t impress anyone at a cocktail party.

But it might be the difference between:

• Responsible innovation and accidental exposure

• Competitive advantage and avoidable risk

• Confidence and regret

The next time someone excitedly tells you about a new AI tool, try asking the question they probably haven’t:

“What happens to your data?”

If the answer is “I don’t know,” that’s your cue, not to panic, but to pause.

And in AI, pausing at the right moment is becoming one of the most important professional skills we have.