Study: 1 in 10 AI Prompts Could Expose Sensitive Data
- By John K. Waters
- 01/22/25
A new study from data protection startup Harmonic Security found that nearly one in 10 prompts used by business users when interacting with generative artificial intelligence tools may inadvertently disclose sensitive data.
The study, conducted in the fourth quarter of 2024, analyzed prompts across generative AI platforms such as Microsoft Copilot, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity. While the majority of AI usage by employees involved mundane tasks like summarizing text or drafting documentation, 8.5% of prompts posed potential security risks.
Sensitive Data at Risk
Among the concerning prompts, 45.8% risked exposing customer data, including billing and authentication information. Another 26.8% involved employee-related data, such as payroll details, personal identifiers, and even requests for AI-assisted employee performance reviews.
The remaining sensitive prompts included:
- Legal and finance information (14.9%): Sales pipeline data, investment portfolios, and merger and acquisition activity.
- Security data (6.9%): Penetration test results, network configurations, and incident reports, which could be exploited by attackers.
- Sensitive code (5.6%): Access keys and proprietary source code.
Harmonic Security's report also flagged concerns about employees using free-tier generative AI services, which often lack robust security measures. Many free-tier services explicitly state that user data may be used to train AI models, creating further risks of unintended disclosure.
Free-Tier Usage Raises Red Flags
The study revealed significant reliance on free-tier AI services, with 63.8% of ChatGPT users, 58.6% of Gemini users, 75% of Claude users, and 50.5% of Perplexity users opting for non-enterprise plans. These services often lack critical safeguards found in enterprise versions, such as the ability to block sensitive prompts or warn users about potential risks.
"Most generative AI use is mundane, but the 8.5% of prompts we analyzed potentially put sensitive personal and company information at risk," said Alastair Paterson, co-founder and CEO of Harmonic Security, in a statement. "Organizations need to address this issue, particularly given the high number of employees using free subscriptions. The adage that 'if the product is free, you are the product' rings especially true here."
Recommendations for Risk Mitigation
Harmonic Security urged companies to implement real-time monitoring systems to track and manage data entered into generative AI tools. The firm also recommended:
- Ensuring employees use paid or enterprise AI plans that do not train on input data.
- Gaining visibility into prompts to understand what information is being shared.
- Blocking or warning users about risky prompts to prevent data leakage.
While many organizations have begun implementing such measures, the report highlighted the need for broader adoption of these safeguards as generative AI becomes increasingly integrated into workplace processes.
"Generative AI tools hold immense potential for improving productivity, but without proper safeguards, they can become a liability. Organizations must act now to ensure sensitive data is protected while still leveraging the benefits of AI technology," Paterson said.
The full report is available on the Harmonic Security site.
About the Author
John K. Waters is the editor in chief of a number of Converge360.com sites, with a focus on high-end development, AI and future tech. He's been writing about cutting-edge technologies and culture of Silicon Valley for more than two decades, and he's written more than a dozen books. He also co-scripted the documentary film Silicon Valley: A 100 Year Renaissance, which aired on PBS. He can be reached at [email protected].