Trusted AI is Governed AI - The Personal AI Data Map
Part 2: Visualizing Where Your Data Lives
In Part 1, we saw how fragmented and inconsistent AI providers’ policies are. Now let’s try to visualize that landscape - a task that turned out to be harder than I expected.
No existing diagrams captured it, so I sketched my own. This is Version 1.0 of the Personal AI Data Map - still evolving, but ready to share.
Goals of the Map
Keep it approachable - Not overly technical - but grounded enough to capture key storage points.
Make it comprehensive - Covering the common layers where data may be stored.
Increase awareness - Because with AI embedded in both home and work tools, it’s easy to lose track of what you’re sharing.
A High-Level Journey
Think of the map as a left-to-right flow of where your data might travel:
Interaction Source: The entry point - your first engagement with an AI-enabled tool.
AI Experience: The evolving “response experience.” This is difficult - often impossible - to transfer between systems. A memory in ChatGPT doesn’t migrate to Gemini.
Device-Specific: Some AI features live directly on your hardware (e.g., Microsoft Copilot storing data locally).
Application Provider-Specific: Visibility drops here. Most users don’t know how their apps are architected - but sharper questions can uncover risks.
LLM Provider-Centric: Beneath the app, providers vary widely in storage, retention, and training practices.
User Preferences & Settings: Your controls matter. Each layer may have its own menus or policies that affect where your data goes.
Beyond Storage
The map can also help frame broader questions:
In which jurisdictions is your data legally stored?
What does “data theft” mean in the context of LLM usage?
What types of information are most at risk?
Looking Ahead
In Part 3, I’ll share ways to minimize your AI footprint — and even prompts you can use to uncover what AI systems currently know about you.
How can I help you “Keep Pace” with AI and Intelligent Agents?
With the rapid evolution of AI, a strong AI governance function is mandatory. I offer a range of consulting, governance and architecture services designed to help organizations successfully achieve their AI Goals.
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