Ready to harness AI capabilities while keeping your data secure? This guide walks you through setting up private AI workflows using local models and secure development practices.
Level : Beginner 
Reading Time : 15min
- Introduction
- How Your Data is Used by AI Providers
- Why It is a Problem
- How to Correctly Handle Your Data When Using AI
- Privately Use LLMs
- What option do you recommend
In the digital age, data privacy has become a critical concern for individuals and organizations alike. As artificial intelligence (AI) tools become increasingly integrated into our daily lives, the need for understanding and protecting our data has never been more important.
AI tools, ranging from voice assistants to recommendation algorithms, rely on vast amounts of data to function effectively. However, this reliance on data raises significant privacy concerns.
Privacy is not just about keeping secrets; it is about maintaining control over personal information and ensuring that it is used responsibly. In the context of AI, privacy is essential for several reasons:
- Personal Security: Protecting personal data can prevent identity theft, fraud, and other malicious activities.
- Trust and Transparency: Users need to trust that their data is being handled ethically and transparently by AI providers.
- Legal Compliance: Many regions have stringent data protection laws, such as GDPR in Europe, that organizations must comply with.
- Ethical Considerations: Respecting privacy is a fundamental ethical principle that ensures individuals' rights and dignity are upheld.
Privacy is important because it empowers individuals to control their digital footprint and safeguard their personal information.
If you’re eager to learn more about this topic, Neil Richards' book Why Privacy Matters offers a comprehensive exploration.
For those of you who are already concerned about privacy but unsure where to start, I recommend the following resources:
- Privacy Guides – Ideal for non-technical users.
- Awesome Privacy by Pluja and Awesome Privacy by lissy93 – Extensive lists of privacy-focused tools.
- Personal Security Checklist – Excellent coverage of both basic and advanced cybersecurity advice to protect your devices and privacy.
When you use AI services, think of it like having a helpful assistant who learns from every conversation.These services collect and remember how you work, what you create, and how you use their features. This learning process helps them become more helpful over time, but it's important to understand where your information goes.
Your information typically flows through three main stages :
- First, it goes to the AI company's servers where they use it to power your immediate requests.
- Then, they might store it to improve their services and understand how people use their tools.
- Finally, some of this information might be shared with their business partners or used to train future versions of their AI.
flow and utilization of user data within an AI company's ecosystem.
Learning From Your Interactions
Every time you interact with an AI tool, you're contributing to its education. When you write code, for instance, the AI system observes and learns from your patterns. It notices how you structure your functions, your preferred coding style, and even your common debugging approaches. This collected knowledge doesn't just disappear after your session - it becomes part of the AI's growing understanding of how developers work.
Continuous Improvement Process
The learning process is continuous and multi-layered. When you accept or reject AI suggestions, you're providing valuable feedback. Think of it like training a junior developer who gets better with every correction. If you modify an AI-generated code snippet, the system learns from your modifications. These adjustments help refine future suggestions, not just for you, but potentially for millions of other developers facing similar challenges.
Adapting to Your Needs
AI systems don't just collect data - they actively adapt to your working style. During your coding sessions, the AI analyzes your current project context, remembers solutions you've preferred in the past, and adjusts its suggestions accordingly. This real-time adaptation means the AI becomes increasingly attuned to your specific needs and preferences over time.
Research and Innovation
Your interactions contribute to broader technological advancement. Companies analyze patterns in user data to identify areas where AI can be more helpful. This might lead to developing new capabilities, like better understanding of complex codebases or more accurate prediction of developer intentions. The aggregated data helps researchers understand how developers actually work, leading to innovations in AI-assisted development.
Ecosystem Integration
The knowledge gained from user data extends beyond individual tools. Companies use these insights to improve how their AI tools integrate with existing development environments and workflows. They study how developers move between different tools and tasks, aiming to create more seamless experiences. This might influence everything from IDE plugins to documentation generators.
Performance Optimization
User data plays a crucial role in optimizing AI system performance. Companies analyze how developers interact with their tools to identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement. This might include studying response times, suggestion accuracy, and resource usage patterns. The goal is to make AI assistance more efficient and effective, reducing the cognitive load on developers.
Understanding these uses of your data is the first step in managing your privacy effectively.
When you use AI services, your personal information faces several key risks. Imagine giving someone your house keys without knowing exactly what they'll do inside. That's similar to how many AI services handle your data - you provide information but often can't control or even see how it's used.
Hidden Data Collection
Most AI services collect more than you might realize. Beyond the obvious inputs like your questions or code, they often gather data about when you work, how you use their tools, and even your correction patterns. It's like having someone watching over your shoulder, taking notes about everything you do.
AI companies store massive amounts of user data, making them attractive targets for hackers. Think of it as storing everyone's valuables in one giant vault - if someone breaks in, they gain access to everything. Recent history shows us that even major companies can suffer serious data breaches.
Modern AI tools can track and analyze your behavior in sophisticated ways. They might notice patterns in your work schedule, your project preferences, or even your problem-solving style. This detailed monitoring creates a comprehensive digital profile of how you work and think.
AI systems learn from historical data, which often contains human biases. For example, a coding assistant might favor certain programming approaches simply because they're more common in its training data, not because they're better. This can perpetuate existing biases and limit innovation.
Even when you try to stay anonymous, AI systems can often piece together your identity from various data points. It's like trying to wear a disguise, but leaving behind countless small clues that, when combined, reveal who you are.
Privacy laws often lag behind AI technology advancement. While regulations like GDPR provide some protection, many aspects of AI data usage remain poorly regulated. Companies might comply with the letter of the law while still using your data in ways you wouldn't expect.
Companies often view your data as a valuable business asset. They might:
- Share it with business partners
- Use it for marketing purposes
- Sell insights derived from it
- Develop new products based on it
Understanding these problems is crucial for recognizing the importance of protecting your data and advocating for stronger privacy measures.
Reading privacy policies might seem tedious, but it's crucial for understanding what you're signing up for. Think of it like checking the terms before renting an apartment - you want to know exactly what you're agreeing to. Pay special attention to data collection practices, usage terms, sharing policies, and opt-out options. These details will help you make informed decisions about which services to trust with your information.
Approach data sharing like packing for a trip - take only what you absolutely need. When using AI tools, share only the essential information required for the task at hand. Keep sensitive details separate, and always consider whether personal information is truly necessary for the function you're using. Create clear boundaries between personal and professional data, using different accounts or instances when appropriate.
Think of security as building layers of protection around your digital home. Start with the basics: always use secure connections (look for HTTPS) when accessing AI services. Keep your software and applications updated - these updates often contain important security patches that protect your data. For additional protection, consider using a VPN, which creates a secure tunnel for your data transmission. Enable two-factor authentication wherever available - it's like adding a security camera to complement your locks. These extra steps might seem inconvenient, but they significantly enhance your data protection.
Choosing the right AI tools is fundamental to protecting your privacy. Open-source options often provide transparency about how they handle your data - you can see exactly what's happening behind the scenes. Local-first tools keep your data on your own device, reducing exposure to external risks. When selecting cloud-based services, prioritize those with strong privacy commitments and clear data protection policies.
Make privacy maintenance a regular habit, like house cleaning. Set aside time each month to review your digital security. Check which applications have access to your data and revoke unnecessary permissions. Update passwords that might be compromised or weak. Review privacy settings across your AI tools to ensure they still align with your preferences.
Think of privacy protection as an ongoing journey rather than a destination. Stay informed about new privacy features and security developments in your AI tools. As services evolve and add new capabilities, reassess whether their privacy practices still meet your standards. Be prepared to adjust your protection strategies as technology changes and new privacy challenges emerge.
Privacy protection in AI tools is an evolving field. Stay curious and informed about new privacy features and potential risks. Join privacy-focused communities where users share experiences and tips. When new AI tools emerge, take time to understand their privacy implications before incorporating them into your workflow.
By following these steps, you can better protect your data when using AI tools and minimize the risks associated with data collection and sharing.
The most secure solution is to run your LLM model directly on your machine, ensuring that data never leaves the confines of your computer.
We have already created a tutorial on how to run the model locally. 
The primary limitation of this option is that it still requires minimal hardware to effectively run large and powerful models.
The main benefit is that you have full control over which model you use and how you use it.
If you have an older or less powerful computer, or if you're not very familiar with computers, the other two options might be a better fit for you.
Brave Browser is a privacy-focused web browser developed by Brave Software, Inc., founded by Brendan Eich, who is also the creator of JavaScript. It aims to provide users with a secure and fast browsing experience while minimizing online tracking and intrusive advertisements.
Brave Browser includes a built-in content blocker and privacy features, many of which are enabled by default. Brave is built upon the Chromium web browser project, so it should feel familiar and have minimal website compatibility issues.
Leo is Brave's AI assistant integrated directly into the Brave Browser, designed to enhance user experience while prioritizing privacy.
Leo can be accessed easily within the Brave Browser (both on Dektop and Mobile version):
- Users can type queries directly into the address bar and select "Ask Leo" from the dropdown menu.
- Alternatively, Leo can be summoned from a sidebar chat interface.
Key Features of Leo
- Real-Time Interaction: Leo allows users to create real-time summaries of webpages or videos, answer questions about content, generate new content, translate pages, and even engage in casual conversations.
- Privacy-Centric Design:
- Anonymity: All user requests are proxied through anonymized servers, ensuring that IP addresses cannot be linked to user queries.
- Data Handling: Leo does not store conversations or use them for model training; responses are discarded immediately after generation.
- No Account Required: Users can access Leo without needing to create a Brave account, enhancing privacy further.
Leo doesn't log user data; conversations are deleted upon browser closure. Leo uses open-source models and employs a proxy server to strip IP addresses from queries, enhancing privacy.
Models currently usable wiht Leo AI
- Llama 3.1 8B
- Mixtral
- Claude 3 Haiku
- Claude 3.5 Sonnet (Only with a premium subscription)
You also can use any model provided by Ollama via Leo Bring Your Own Model (BYOM)
Venice.ai is a new AI platform that launched in 2024, offering a unique approach to AI interactions with a focus on privacy, uncensored content, and decentralization.
*It offers text generation, image creation, and document analysis capabilities.. The platform integrates blockchain technology for enhanced security and decentralized payments.
Venice.ai prioritizes user privacy by:
- Not storing conversation history or associating it with user accounts. (Conversation history is encrypted and stored locally on the user's device, rather than on Venice AI's servers.)
- Using end-to-end encryption for all interactions.
- Processing user inputs on a decentralized GPU network without personal identifiers.
- Allowing use without registration (though limited free access is available).
- Venice AI does not store or log user conversations on its own servers, significantly reducing the risk of data breaches or unauthorized access.
Unlike many AI platforms, Venice.ai does not censor or filter content:
- It provides unfiltered, unbiased information without restrictions on topics.
- Users have total freedom in the subjects they can address.
Venice.ai offers various access options:
- Free use without registration (limited to 15 text queries and 5 images per day).
- Free registration increases limits to 25 text requests and 15 images daily.
- A paid version is available for $50 per year with unlimited access.
Before making a decision, it's essential to acknowledge that each option has its pros and cons. The best choice ultimately depends on how you intend to utilize the AI.
To illustrate this, I'll provide a specific example to consider.
You want the most private, secure and uncensored solution : Run your model locally using Ollama or other providers.
This approach relies on no trust assumptions and ensures that data remains on your computer. You can run any open source models your hardware can support. It allows you to create and use any integration and software with your local model. No rate limitation and no subscription.
However, it may require powerful and expensive hardware to effectively run larger models. Find the model that is righ for you in the dedicated Tutorial.
You want the easiest and interactive solution : Use the seamless Leo AI integration directly into Brave Web browser.
- No hardware or expertise required. Seamless integration as real-time summaries of web pages or videos, or inquiries about content. With the BYOM feature, you can utilize any open-source model that can be run locally on your computer.
- Rely on Brave Software, Inc. to securely handle your requests. You can be rate limited (# of Requests per day) and Subscription is needed to use advanced models.
You want it to be easy, private and uncensored : Use Venice.ai services.
- No Hardaware and expertise needed. you gain access to both language models and image generation models.
- Rely on Venice.ai to securely handle your requests. You are rate limited (# of Requests per day) and Subscription is needed to use advanced models and unlimited requests.