AI systems have a habit of swallowing more data than anyone planned. Every prompt is a record, every output is a derivative work, and every fine-tune embeds information that may be hard to remove.
Map Your Data Flows
Start with a clear picture of what enters your model, what leaves it, and who can see each step. You cannot protect what you cannot see.
Defaults Matter
Choose vendors that default to not training on your data. Confirm with contracts, not marketing pages.
Retention Is a Choice
Just because the logs are cheap does not mean keeping them is. Set retention windows that match your obligations, not your storage tier.
Conclusion
Privacy is not a feature you add at the end. It is a property your architecture either has or does not. Design for it on day one.