Decision fatigue: it seems to be a constant in life. Sometimes it is part of a phase, as with our daughter who is taking her exams this year and has to choose a follow-up course of study, but it often rears its head on a daily basis, such as when choosing clothes or ice cream on a hot summer's day. Nowadays, a more modern version of Decision fatigue has also emerged: the choice of the right communication channel.
Email often ends up in the pile of unread messages. Teams messages are for my colleagues, WhatsApp for my friends, Signal for my security friends, and my children use Snapchat. Facebook is only used to find rooms in Utrecht, and X... that seems to be mainly for journalists, doesn't it? And when you have finally chosen which channel to use, the question arises: what do you share? A rumour, a private photo, or maybe even the Ministry of Defence's attack plans?
Now we also have to deal with decision fatigue when using AI. Can you use AI for work, research or study? Which AI tools are safe, and which ones can you use? How much confidential data can you put in it? For my blog, I had promised to discuss the safe use of generative AI, and to reward those who had won my heart of security during Valentine's Day by sharing safe AI tips. I am extremely pleased with the many valuable tips I have received. Here are the top three tips for using AI safely:
- Choose a secure AI machine: This is difficult because there is no list of the best choices. You will have to do some research yourself. For example, look at what data the AI collects, who has access to your data, how secure the storage and processing is, and whether you can manage the interactions with the AI yourself. It is also important to read the privacy policy and look at the company's reputation. If you follow all of this, I expect you will not use a Deepseek machine (anymore).
- Check the sources: AI does not always generate the correct information. It is therefore important to check the sources of the generated content and verify that the answer is correct.
- Know what you are sharing: Do not share confidential or personal information with an AI machine, as this data may be shared with others. You never know exactly what happens to your data once it is processed by the AI.
The winners of my Valentine's Day promotion have been contacted personally about how they can receive their chocolate heart. Thank you for your valuable contributions!