Skip to content
Vol. 1 · Weekly editionWeekly · in your inbox
inklaretaal
Friday, 4 September 2026 · Clarity since 2026
Glossary

What is GDPR and AI?

The GDPR is the privacy law that governs how you handle personal data; with AI that means: be careful what you put into a tool.

The GDPR (the European privacy law) protects personal data: names, addresses, files, anything that can be traced to a person. If you put such data into an AI tool, those rules still apply. With free tools your input can be used to train the model, and then you have lost control. For sensitive data that is a problem.

What this means for you

Do not enter personal or confidential information without knowing what happens to it. When in doubt, ask your employer whether the tool is approved for that.

Put precisely

The GDPR does not ban AI tools, it sets requirements. You need a valid reason to use personal data, you use only what is necessary, and you can explain what happens to the data.

Common misconception

That it is fine as long as you leave out the name. Someone can still be identifiable without a name, for instance by role, location or file. The GDPR still applies then.

Source: GDPR, Regulation (EU) 2016/679, on EUR-Lex


Related words

Privacy and AITraining dataCopyright and AI

Understand AI, calmly

This word is a start. The inklaretaal Learning curve explains AI step by step in plain language, tuned to your field. The first month is free.

Start free →Back to the glossary