🌟 The Silver Assistant
Issue #9 — Your Friendly Guide to Using AI in Everyday Life
Welcome to Season 2 of The Silver Assistant.
Over the past eight weeks, we’ve covered a lot of ground together — from understanding your blood test results to planning your dream trip to writing the letter you’ve always meant to send. The response has been wonderful, and we’re so grateful for every story, question, and kind message you’ve sent in.
This season, we’re going deeper. We’re going to tackle the questions that come up most often from readers — starting with the one we hear more than any other.
“Is it actually safe to use AI? Am I giving away my personal information?”
It’s a great question. And you deserve a straight, honest answer.
🗓️ TRY THIS THIS WEEK
“Before You Type Another Word Into AI — Read This”
Let’s start with the most important thing: AI tools from reputable companies are generally safe to use for everyday tasks. Millions of people use them every day without any problems. But like any tool — a phone, a computer, a credit card — it’s worth understanding how they work so you can use them wisely.
Here’s what you need to know.
What Happens When You Type Something Into AI?
When you type a message into an AI tool like Claude, ChatGPT, or Google Gemini, that message is sent to the company’s computers, processed, and a response is sent back to you. The conversation may be stored by the company for a period of time — this varies by company and can be adjusted in your settings.
The major AI companies — Anthropic (Claude), OpenAI (ChatGPT), and Google (Gemini) — are large, well-established technology organizations with security practices similar to your bank or email provider. They are not selling your conversations to advertisers or passing them to strangers.
That said, it’s wise to think of AI conversations the way you think of email: appropriate for most things, but not the right place for your most sensitive personal data.
🔴 What You Should NEVER Type Into AI
Some information should stay off AI platforms entirely. Here’s a simple rule: never type anything you wouldn’t write on a postcard.
Specifically, avoid typing:
- Your Social Security number
- Your full Medicare or insurance ID number
- Your bank account or credit card numbers
- Your passwords or PINs
- Your full date of birth combined with your address
- Any combination of details that could be used to steal your identity
You can absolutely ask AI to help you understand your Medicare letter without typing your actual Medicare ID. You can ask for help understanding a medical condition without sharing your full name and address. A little awareness goes a long way.
🟢 What Is Perfectly Safe to Share With AI
The vast majority of what we’ve been doing in this newsletter is completely fine. You can safely share:
- General health questions and symptoms (without full identifying details)
- The text of a Medicare letter (just redact your ID number first)
- Personal memories and stories you want help writing
- Travel destinations, dates, and preferences
- Medication names and questions about how they work
- Questions about topics you’re curious about
- Drafts of letters, emails, and documents
Think of AI as a very knowledgeable helper who doesn’t actually need to know your name, your ID numbers, or your passwords to assist you. Describe your situation — but leave out the identifying details.
🔒 A Practical Privacy Tip: Turn Off Chat History
All three major AI tools allow you to control whether your conversations are saved. Here’s how to find that setting:
ChatGPT: Click your name in the bottom left corner → Settings → Data Controls → Turn off “Improve the model for everyone”
Claude: Click on your name or settings icon → Privacy → adjust conversation history settings
Google Gemini: Go to myactivity.google.com → Gemini Apps Activity → turn off or manage your history
Turning off chat history means your conversations are not used to train future AI models. For most everyday use it makes little practical difference — but if it gives you peace of mind, it’s worth doing.
🛡️ Bonus: Ask AI to Explain Its Own Privacy Policy
Here’s a useful trick — you can ask AI to explain its own privacy practices in plain English:
“Can you explain in simple terms how you handle the conversations I have with you? What is stored, for how long, and who can see it?”
The AI will give you a plain-English summary of its own policies. It’s one of the most honest things you can do — ask the tool itself to explain the rules.
⚠️ Watch Out for Fake AI Sites
One real risk worth knowing about: scammers have created fake websites that look like AI tools to steal your information. Always use the official sites:
- Claude: claude.ai
- ChatGPT: chat.openai.com
- Google Gemini: gemini.google.com
Bookmark these addresses on your phone or computer so you always go to the right place.
💬 Reader Story
“I was nervous about AI for months. I kept thinking it was going to steal my information or send it somewhere. Once I learned what to share and what to keep private, I felt much better. Now I use it almost every day. It’s like having a helpful neighbor who knows about everything.”
— Carol, 70, from Michigan
(Have questions about AI safety? Reply and ask — we’ll answer them in a future issue.)
📌 Quick Recap — Try This This Week
- Visit one of the official AI sites: claude.ai, chat.openai.com, or gemini.google.com
- Go into settings and review your privacy and chat history options
- Ask the AI: “Can you explain how you handle my conversations and what privacy controls I have?”
- Bookmark the official address so you always go to the right place
- Remember the golden rule: never type your Social Security number, passwords, or full financial details into any AI tool
Coming Up in Issue #10…
Next week we’re talking about something close to many of our hearts: keeping your mind sharp.
We’ll show you how to use free AI tools to exercise your brain, strengthen your memory, and stay mentally fit — with practical activities you can do right from your phone or computer, any time you have a few minutes.
Don’t miss it.
The Silver Assistant is published weekly. Forward this to a friend who’s been hesitant about trying AI — this issue might be just the reassurance they need.
Questions? Stories? Hit reply — we read every single message.
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