What it means in practice
GDPR says you must protect personal data: names, email addresses, national identifiers. Put that data into a public AI model and you lose control of it, which is a breach. The answer is to anonymise data before it goes into the AI, or to use closed systems that do not retain it.
Why companies need to know this
- Severe fines. A GDPR breach can cost a company an enormous amount.
- Transparency. Clients have the right to know whether an algorithm is processing their data and for what purpose.
- Safer processes. Properly set rules protect employees from making unintentional mistakes with AI.
An example from practice
A recruitment agency uses AI to sort CVs. Before anything is uploaded, the software automatically strips out names, addresses and contact details, which satisfies GDPR and leaves the AI assessing candidates purely on skills. In our company AI workshops we teach how to bring AI into company processes safely and lawfully.