You need to summarise a document before a meeting, tidy up some notes, or work through a large spreadsheet. An AI tool can make these tasks much quicker, often producing useful results in seconds. The convenience can make it easy to focus on the result and overlook the information you have shared and where it is going.

We work with all kinds of information every day, from student and staff details to research findings, financial information, and intellectual property. AI gives us new ways to work with this information, while also asking us to think more carefully about how we use, share, and protect it.

Be selective about AI tools

It's easy to find an AI tool online that promises to make your work quicker and easier. With so many tools available, it can be tempting to sign up and start using whichever one seems to fit the task. But before you do, consider who provides the tool, what information it can access, and how it handles what you share.

Using AI tools without your organisation’s knowledge, approval, or oversight is known as shadow AI. While these tools may be useful, using them without proper oversight can increase the risk of sensitive information being exposed, particularly when working with personal information, confidential documents, research data, or intellectual property.

At UCT, Microsoft Copilot Chat is a recommended and supported AI tool for staff and students. It provides an appropriate option for university work, but the same good habits still apply. Think about what you share, check the information it gives you, and use it responsibly.

The goal is not to avoid AI, but to choose tools that are appropriate for the work and to handle information responsibly.

Know what you are sharing

Not all information needs the same level of protection. At UCT, information is classified as public, internal, confidential, or restricted. Understanding how information is classified helps you to decide how it should be stored, shared, and processed.

This is particularly important when using AI. Information that is already publicly available is different from student or staff information, personal information, confidential documents, or intellectual property.

For researchers and postgraduate students, this may include unpublished papers, research findings, or information linked to funded projects. Something uploaded for a quick summary or edit could contain valuable material that is not ready to be shared more widely.

Take a moment to understand the information you are working with before deciding how to use it.

Share files with care

The same care should apply to the tools you use every day. When sharing documents through Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 Groups or OneDrive, check that you are sharing the right file, folder, or version with the right people.

A few simple habits can help you stay in control of your information.

  • Check who has access to files and folders, and remove access that is no longer needed.
  • Before sending sensitive information, review sharing permissions.
  • Keep files and folders organised so that information is easier to manage.
  • When additional protection is needed, encrypt sensitive documents.
  • Use encryption when sending sensitive information via email.
  • Keep information organised and under control using our guide on managing files and folders.

These habits are especially important when working with information that is personal, sensitive, confidential, or otherwise needs to be protected. Our data privacy guide provides practical advice on handling such information responsibly.

AI is changing the way we work with information, but good data habits still matter. Choosing tools carefully and handling information responsibly can help us make the most of AI while protecting what matters.