PII Shield

Nobody Sends PII to ChatGPT… Right?

Why even cautious teams leak sensitive data without realizing it

6 min read - January 15, 2024

You've probably heard it, or maybe said it yourself:
“We don't send PII to ChatGPT.”

And on paper, that's probably true.
You've got smart people. You've had the training.
You've told the team: “Don't share anything sensitive.”

But here's the surprising reality...

The Myth

“Our team knows better. We don't share PII with AI tools.”

Sure, intent is good. But this is where things get tricky.

The Reality

Accidental PII sharing is more common than you'd think

38% of employees admit to sharing sensitive work info with AI tools without their organization's knowledge. In a Harmonic Security study, 8.5% of prompts submitted to tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, and Claude included sensitive data.

That's not just occasional. It's routine.

Nearly 10% of all ChatGPT inputs contained sensitive information, and 11% of those were classified as confidential. In healthcare, 60% of professionals said they had used AI tools to draft patient communication, even though 30% weren't confident about compliance.

And in the legal sector? One in five firms reported using AI to summarize documents that may have contained client PII.

How It Actually Happens

Sharing snippets might seem low-risk. It often starts with a simple task:

“Summarize this from Jane in Toronto about her CRA flag.”

No phone numbers. No SINs. Just a quick ask. But in that one sentence, you've shared a person's first name, their location, their workplace, and government context.

That's more than enough to identify someone. Under laws like GDPR and PHIPA, that counts as PII.

Why People Miss It

It's not that people are careless. It's that we're not wired to spot risk in context.

Most teams miss it because indirect identifiers don't feel like PII. Things like a name, a region, and a role seem harmless at first glance.

And the danger builds with context. Small bits of information spread across prompts can stack up fast, creating a clear profile.

Plus, people move quickly. Urgent requests, late nights, and fatigue all make it easier to forget what should be filtered out.

This isn't a training issue. It's a pattern we all fall into.

Why It Matters

A seemingly harmless prompt can spiral into something bigger.

Regulatory Risk

Regulatory risk is real. Many AI tools log prompts, and if those prompts contain PII, you could be on the hook.

Reputational Risk

It's also a reputational risk. You tell clients “we don't share your info,” but then… accidentally do? That kind of contradiction erodes trust fast.

No Safety Net

And when things go wrong, there's no safety net. “We told them not to” isn't a defense that holds up under scrutiny.

What You Can Do About It

You're not anti-productivity, just pro-responsibility. That's where PII Shield comes in.

PII Shield acts like a real-time bodyguard. It scans every prompt before it leaves the browser, looking for names, emails, case numbers, and indirect identifiers.

It works with any AI interface. There's no switching platforms, no extra logins, no change in workflow. Just quiet, automatic protection and a lot more peace of mind.

Think of it like turning on seatbelts for AI prompts. It's there when you need it, invisible when you don't.

TL;DR: PII Slips Through the Cracks (Here's How to Catch It)

You might believe nobody's sending PII, but the data says otherwise.
Roughly 1 in 10 prompts expose sensitive info, and even the best teams make mistakes.

Want to see how PII Shield helps you stay protected without slowing anyone down? Let's chat.

Have Questions About PII Protection?

Get answers about what counts as PII, how AI tools handle data, compliance requirements, and more in our comprehensive FAQ section.