Three ways to use AI with business information
Almost every option falls into one of three groups. They differ less in how clever the AI is and more in who controls where your information goes.
| Aspect | Personal or free chatbots | Business plans from AI providers | Models on hardware you control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who controls the settings | Each staff member, on their own account | Your organisation, through an admin account | You, entirely |
| Where information goes | To the provider, under consumer terms | To the provider, under business terms you can review | Nowhere outside your network |
| Capability | Strong | Strong | Good and improving; best on focused tasks |
| Effort to set up | None | Low | Moderate: hardware, setup and upkeep |
| Good for | Public information only | Everyday internal work, once settings are agreed | Confidential or regulated information |
Sort your information first
The decision gets much easier once information is sorted into a few groups. A simple version for small teams:
- Public: anything already on your website or in published material. Any tool is fine.
- Internal: everyday working documents, procedures, meeting notes. An approved business plan with agreed settings.
- Confidential: client details, pricing, contracts, staff matters. Only approved tools that keep it in-house, or not at all.
- Regulated or highly sensitive: health, financial or legally privileged information. Get specific advice before any AI use.
When private AI is worth it
Running a model on hardware you control makes sense when a valuable, repetitive task depends on information that should never leave the business. Typical examples are searching internal documents, drafting from confidential templates, or summarising client files.
It is usually not worth it for general writing help, or when an approved business plan already meets your information rules. The extra setup and upkeep should buy you something specific.
A sensible way to start
- Write down which tools are approved and for which groups of information. A one-page AI use policy is enough to begin.
- Pick one recurring task and decide which group its information falls into.
- Choose the simplest option that respects that group.
- Keep a person reviewing anything that leaves the business.
This is general information, not legal or security advice for your situation.