Data retention
Level 1
How long a service keeps what you send it, and what it does with it.
Term 3 of 6 in Safety and privacy
In plain language
Retention policies vary enormously. Some providers delete inputs within days and never train on them; others keep them by default. It is a setting and a contract, not a technical inevitability.
Think of it like this
Whether the shop shreds your receipt or files a copy forever.
Why it matters
This is the single most practical privacy question to ask about any AI tool you are considering.
Next terms in Safety and privacy
- BiasA model systematically favouring or disadvantaging certain people or outcomes.
- Personally identifiable informationAny information that can be traced back to a specific person.
- Prompt injectionHiding instructions inside content so a model obeys the attacker instead of you.
- AlignmentHow well an AI system's behaviour matches what people actually intend.