How To Build A Privacy First A.I. Stack Setup To Protect Your Data
🦾 A.I. in Action
Not all A.I. tools are created equal. Many store prompts, some use your data to train future models, and others may not encrypt communications on public Wi-Fi. Here’s how to build a privacy-first setup you can actually use today.
🛠 Tools You’ll Use
✅ Claude: Deletes conversations by default, great for sensitive brainstorming.
✅ PrivateGPT/LM Studio: Run models locally with no cloud dependency.
✅ Perplexity.ai Pro: Fact-check A.I. outputs against cited sources.
✅ VPN + ProtonMail: Secure communication on public Wi-Fi.
✅ Zapier/Make: Connect workflows while keeping control over what data passes through.
What you will set up
A local model for sensitive drafting where data never leaves your device.
A cloud model with strict privacy controls for speed and scale.
An automatic redaction and fact-check layer before anything goes public.
Simple governance so you can prove how A.I. was used.
Tools you can use
Local model runner: LM Studio or Ollama.
Cloud model: ChatGPT Enterprise, Claude for Work, or Azure OpenAI.
Fact-check: Perplexity with citations or Consensus for research papers.
Automation: Zapier or Make.
Docs and register: Notion or Airtable.
VPN: Any reputable provider for travel and public Wi-Fi.
Note: Classify your data in 10 minutes
Create four labels in Notion or Airtable: Public, Internal, Confidential, Restricted.
Examples:
Public: blog drafts, social captions.
Internal: meeting notes without PII.
Confidential: customer emails without full identifiers.
Restricted: anything with names, emails, phone numbers, health or financial info.
Rule: Restricted data must stay on local models only.
Step 1: Set up a local model for Restricted work
Mac
Install Ollama or LM Studio.
Download a small instruct model for your machine, for example Llama 3.1 8B Instruct or Mistral 7B Instruct.
Disable telemetry where available and work offline.
Windows
Install LM Studio
Download the same class of model.
Keep the app offline for Restricted drafting.
Prompt template for sensitive drafts
System: You are a privacy-first assistant. Do not invent facts. If you are unsure, say you are unsure.
User: Draft a one page summary of this policy language. Replace all names with role titles. No external data.
Result: You can write with A.I. while keeping restricted content on your machine.
Step 2: Configure a privacy-controlled cloud model for everything else
Use a business or enterprise tier that offers admin controls and data retention settings.
Turn off training on your data where the option exists.
Enforce SSO and MFA in your identity provider.
Create separate workspaces for teams. Keep Confidential and Internal only.
Safety wrapper prompt for cloud use
System: You must cite sources for any factual claims. If you cannot provide at least two reputable sources, state that verification is required.
Step 3: Add an automatic redaction gateway before the cloud
Goal: Never send PII to cloud models by mistake.
Zapier or Make:
Trigger: New text dropped in a folder or form.
Code step: Redact emails and phone numbers with simple patterns. Replace with tokens like [email] or [phone].
Only then call the cloud model.
Append a footer: This text was privacy scrubbed before processing.
This is simple and highly effective.
Step 4: Add a fact-check layer you will actually use
Two-pass method
Generate a draft in your chosen model.
Send the key claims to Perplexity and request two to three citations.
If any claim lacks citations, mark the section for human review.
Verification prompt:
Please verify the following three claims and return bullet points with links to reputable sources. If a claim cannot be verified, state unverifiable and explain why.
Step 5: Public Wi-Fi and travel safety
Always connect through a VPN before opening any A.I. app.
Avoid Restricted or Confidential work on hotel or cafe networks. Use your mobile hotspot if you must.
Do not log into model admin consoles on shared networks.
Use a separate browser profile for A.I. tools and keep third-party cookies blocked.
Work only over HTTPS. Never paste API keys into public computers.
Step 6: Copyright safe workflow for creative assets
Use A.I. for idea generation and rough drafts.
Add meaningful human editing and structure so there is clear human authorship.
Keep a change log in your doc that shows human additions and decisions.
For images and fonts, use assets with clear commercial licenses or your own originals.
Store sources and licenses with each deliverable in Notion.
Step 7: Create an A.I. use register in five fields
In Notion or Airtable, track every external deliverable touched by A.I. with these columns:
Date, Model and tool, Data class used, Reviewer, and Links to sources or citations.
Add a monthly 30 minute audit on your calendar.
Step 8: Roll out with a safe pilot
Choose three workflows: internal memo, blog draft, and customer email template.
Run them for two weeks with this stack.
Measure: time saved, number of redactions caught, number of unverifiable claims flagged, and rework required.
Expand to more workflows once false positive redactions drop and citations consistently pass review.
Quick prompts you can copy:
Hallucination check
List all statements in the last answer that could be wrong. For each, label as verified or needs verification and tell me what evidence is missing.
PII scrub
Rewrite the following text by replacing names, emails, phone numbers, and company identifiers with generic role labels. Preserve meaning and tone.
Travel mode
Assume I am on public Wi-Fi. Advise the safest way to continue this task without exposing sensitive data and tell me what to postpone until I am on a private network.
Why This Works
✅ Local privacy for truly sensitive work.
✅ Cloud speed for low risk drafting with redaction and citations.
✅ A simple audit trail that keeps you ready for clients, partners and future rules.
Go to the next level with A.I.:
🧠 No-cost A.I. webclass: perfect place to get started.
🦾 Done-for-you services: ideal for growing businesses.
🛠️ All-in-one A.I. system: save both time and money.
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