Staying Safe with AI

AI can now clone a person's voice from just a few seconds of audio. Scammers use this to impersonate a family member — often a grandchild — calling in a panic and asking you to wire money immediately. The voice may sound exactly like your loved one.

How to protect yourself: If you get a distressing call from a family member asking for money, hang up and call that person back directly at a number you know is theirs. Establish a family code word that a scammer would not know.

AI allows scammers to write much more convincing phishing emails. The messages no longer have obvious spelling errors or awkward phrasing. They may look exactly like a real email from your bank, Medicare, or a trusted company.

How to protect yourself: Never click links in unexpected emails or texts. Instead, go directly to the company's website by typing the address yourself. Legitimate organizations will never ask for your password, Social Security number, or bank details via email.

Scammers create fake AI tools that promise amazing results but are designed to steal your information or charge hidden fees. These may pop up as ads on social media or in search results.

How to protect yourself: Stick with well-known AI tools from established companies — ChatGPT from OpenAI, Claude from Anthropic, Gemini from Google. Be skeptical of AI tools advertised on social media. Never download AI apps from unverified sources.

When you use AI chatbots, everything you type is sent to the company's computers. Here are clear rules to follow:

Never share: Social Security numbers, bank account or credit card numbers, passwords, medical record numbers, or your full date of birth with an AI chatbot.

Be cautious with: Your full name combined with your address, specific health conditions, financial details about your accounts, or information about your daily routine.

Safe to share: General questions, requests for explanations, help with writing, recipe ideas, hobby questions, and other non-sensitive topics.

Most AI platforms allow you to control how your data is used.

ChatGPT (OpenAI): Go to Settings (bottom left corner). Click "Data Controls." Turn off "Improve the model for everyone" if you do not want your conversations used to train future AI models. Use "Temporary Chat" mode for sensitive conversations — these are not saved.

Claude (Anthropic): Click your name in the bottom left corner, then "Settings." Review your privacy preferences. You can delete individual conversations or your full history at any time.

Google Gemini: Visit myactivity.google.com to see and delete your Gemini activity. You can pause Gemini activity to stop Google from saving your conversations.