Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes. From writing emails and creating marketing content to analyzing information and helping employees work more efficiently, tools like ChatGPT can save businesses significant time.

But there is an important question businesses need to ask before employees start using AI with company information:

What happens to the information we put into ChatGPT?

There is a significant difference between using a personal ChatGPT account and using ChatGPT Business for your organization. For companies in Charlotte, Fort Mill, Rock Hill, and throughout the Carolinas, understanding that distinction can help prevent employees from accidentally exposing sensitive business information.

What Is the Difference Between Free ChatGPT and ChatGPT Business?

At a basic level, personal ChatGPT accounts are designed for individual users, while ChatGPT Business is designed for organizations and teams.

The difference goes beyond features and pricing. Data handling and business privacy are major considerations.

OpenAI states that for individual ChatGPT services, including Free and other personal plans, conversations may be used to improve its models unless the user opts out through the appropriate data controls. When the setting “Improve the model for everyone” is turned off, new conversations are not used for model training.

ChatGPT Business works differently. OpenAI states that it does not train its models on ChatGPT Business workspace data by default, including inputs and outputs.

For businesses, that distinction matters.

Why Businesses Should Be Careful With Free ChatGPT

Employees may naturally turn to free ChatGPT when they need help with a task. That’s not necessarily a problem when they’re asking general questions.

The concern arises when employees begin entering confidential company information into a personal AI account.

For example, an employee might paste:

• Customer information

• Internal emails

• Business contracts

• Financial information

• Employee information

• Passwords or credentials

• Proprietary processes

• Pricing information

• Sales data

• Internal reports

• Unpublished marketing plans

• Source code or technical information

Even if an employee has good intentions, putting sensitive information into an unmanaged personal AI account can create unnecessary security and privacy risks.

That’s why businesses should establish clear policies around how employees use AI.

Does Free ChatGPT Train on Your Data?

This is an area where businesses should understand the details rather than simply assuming that every ChatGPT conversation is automatically used for training.

According to OpenAI’s current data-use policy, personal ChatGPT services may use user content to improve models unless the user opts out. Users can turn off “Improve the model for everyone” in ChatGPT’s Data Controls.

This means a business shouldn’t simply tell employees, “Don’t worry, ChatGPT is private.”

Instead, businesses should have a documented AI-use policy and consider whether personal ChatGPT accounts are appropriate for company work at all.

For sensitive business information, using a business-focused AI environment with appropriate administrative and security controls can provide a more suitable approach.

How ChatGPT Business Handles Company Data

ChatGPT Business is designed specifically for organizations.

One of the most important differences is its data-training policy.

OpenAI states that it does not train its models on ChatGPT Business workspace data by default. This includes the information users submit and the responses generated within the workspace.

That gives businesses a different privacy framework from individual ChatGPT accounts.

ChatGPT Business also provides organizations with features such as:

• A centralized business workspace

• Administrative controls

• Centralized billing

• SAML, SSO, and MFA

• Usage analytics and spend controls

• Business integrations

• Company knowledge features

• Workspace agents

• Access across desktop, web, and mobile

OpenAI currently lists ChatGPT Business Standard seats at $20 per user per month when billed annually or $25 per user per month when billed monthly. Premium seats are also available at higher usage levels.

Free ChatGPT vs. ChatGPT Business

Features and policies can change, so businesses should review the current plan documentation before making purchasing or security decisions.

Why This Matters for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses

Large enterprises aren’t the only organizations that need to think about AI security.

Small and medium-sized businesses can actually face significant risk when employees independently adopt AI tools without guidance from management or IT.

Consider a simple scenario.

An employee receives a spreadsheet containing customer information and wants ChatGPT to summarize it. They upload the spreadsheet to their personal ChatGPT account because it’s convenient.

The employee may not realize that they’ve just moved potentially sensitive business information into an AI service outside the company’s managed environment.

This is sometimes referred to as shadow AI — employees using AI tools without formal approval, oversight, or security policies.

A business IT provider can help address this problem by establishing appropriate policies, access controls, security awareness training, and approved AI tools.

AI Security Should Be Part of Your IT Strategy

AI is not going away. In fact, businesses are likely to use it more as AI tools become integrated into everyday applications.

The answer isn’t necessarily to prohibit employees from using AI.

Instead, businesses should establish safe and productive ways to use AI.

That can include:

1. Create an AI Acceptable Use Policy

Employees should understand what information can and cannot be entered into AI tools.

2. Use Business-Appropriate AI Accounts

Organizations should consider managed business plans rather than allowing employees to use personal AI accounts for company work.

3. Train Employees

Employees need to understand common AI-related security risks, including accidental data exposure, phishing, misinformation, and AI-generated content.

4. Establish Approved AI Tools

Your IT team should identify which AI applications employees are allowed to use for business purposes.

5. Review Access and Security

Business AI accounts should be incorporated into the organization’s broader identity, security, and access-management strategy.

ChatGPT Can Be a Powerful Business Tool — When Used Correctly

There is a tremendous amount of value that businesses can get from AI.

Employees can use ChatGPT to:

• Draft and improve emails

• Create marketing content

• Brainstorm ideas

• Summarize documents

• Analyze information

• Develop procedures

• Assist with research

• Generate first drafts

• Automate repetitive tasks

• Improve productivity

The goal isn’t to keep employees from using these tools.

The goal is to make sure they’re using them securely.

For businesses, the difference between a personal ChatGPT account and a managed business environment can be an important part of that strategy.

Need Help Developing an AI Strategy for Your Business?

As AI becomes part of everyday business operations, companies need to think about more than simply which AI tool is the most powerful.

They also need to consider data privacy, cybersecurity, employee training, access control, and acceptable-use policies.

Charlotte Networks helps businesses in the Charlotte area with IT support, cybersecurity, Microsoft 365, employee security awareness, and technology strategy.

If your employees are already using ChatGPT or other AI tools, now is a good time to make sure they’re using them safely.

Contact Charlotte Networks to discuss how your business can adopt AI while keeping security and data privacy in mind.