Using AI Tools Safely

AI tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot and ChatGPT can be very helpful—they can draft emails, summarise documents, or even create images—but they also come with risks if not used carefully.

What are the risks?

• Sharing private info by mistake: You might accidentally type in personal or sensitive information about a resident, staff member, or project. Some tools save this info and might reuse or share it.
• Data stored overseas: Some AI tools send your data outside Australia, which could break privacy rules for local government.
• We don’t know where the data goes: Tools like ChatGPT don’t always tell you where your data is stored, for how long, or who can access it.
• Can’t delete what you type: Once something goes into these tools, you often can’t fully delete it.
• Tricky content: Even copying text or images from the internet into an AI tool can carry hidden code or instructions that could cause problems.
• Creating new personal info by accident: If you ask AI to write something about a person, you might accidentally create new private info, which can break privacy rules.

What AI tool can I use at Council?

Only use Microsoft 365 Copilot, which is built into our secure Microsoft system. It’s safe because:

• Your data stays inside Council’s Microsoft 365 system
• It meets Australian privacy and data protection laws
• It has strong security to control who can access what

How to stay safe:

• Don’t put private or sensitive info into ChatGPT or other public AI tools
• Stick to Council-approved tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot
• Remove names or details if you’re using AI to help with a general task
• Ask us if unsure—contact the Digital Experience team with any questions or concerns

Using AI can be a great help, but it’s important we protect our community’s information while we do it.