Think About What You Leave Behind in AI Apps

End-of-lesson check

15 questions · take it digitally for instant feedback at tendril.neural-forge.io/learn/quiz/end-explorers-ethics-AI-and-leaving-no-trace

1. What happens to messages you type into most AI apps?

   1. They are deleted immediately after AI responds
   2. They are stored in the company's servers, sometimes for months or years
   3. They are only visible on your device
   4. They are automatically encrypted and can never be read

2. Which type of information should you NEVER type into an AI chat?

   1. Your favorite color
   2. Your home address and full name
   3. The name of your favorite book
   4. What you had for breakfast

3. The 'postcard rule' for AI conversations means:

   1. Format your AI prompts like a postcard — short and clear
   2. Treat AI messages like postcards: anyone along the route could theoretically read them
   3. Always use AI to write your actual postcards
   4. Only type positive things into AI, like you would on a postcard

4. Why might information you shared in AI chat years ago still exist somewhere?

   1. AI apps keep all data forever by law
   2. Companies may retain logs for training and review purposes, and data deletion policies vary widely
   3. The internet automatically saves everything permanently
   4. Your parents requested it be saved

5. A classmate dares you to type your school's name and class schedule into AI to see what it says. You should:

   1. Do it — it's just a fun experiment
   2. Decline — combining school name with a detailed schedule creates a digital record linking you to a specific location and routine
   3. Do it but immediately delete the chat history
   4. Do it but only use your school's nickname instead of the real name

6. Your friend wants you to type their private family secret into AI to see what advice it gives. You should:

   1. Do it — the family secret stays private because you won't share the response
   2. Decline — your friend's family's private information belongs off AI systems just as much as your own private information
   3. Do it but use a different AI app for sensitive topics
   4. Do it and then delete the chat immediately

7. Some AI apps have a 'don't save my history' setting. This setting:

   1. Guarantees all your data is permanently and immediately deleted
   2. Typically stops the company from using your conversations to train future models, but complete data removal policies vary
   3. Makes your AI conversations completely invisible to everyone
   4. Is the same as deleting your account

8. Which is the safest approach before typing any personal information into an AI app?

   1. Check if anyone is watching your screen
   2. Ask a parent to review the AI app's privacy policy, especially for apps aimed at children
   3. Ask the AI whether it stores your data
   4. Use a pseudonym instead of your real name

9. What does 'future you will thank present you for being careful' mean?

   1. Future AI versions will remember what you said today
   2. Information shared carelessly now can resurface later in ways you cannot predict and did not intend
   3. Being careful today earns you rewards in the future
   4. Your digital footprint automatically improves over time if you are careful

10. Which is appropriate to type into an AI chat app for help?

    1. Your bank account password so AI can help you track your allowance
    2. A general question like 'how do volcanoes work?' with no personal information attached
    3. Your parent's work address and schedule
    4. Your medical information to get health advice

11. Employees at AI companies can potentially review conversations for safety reasons. This means:

    1. You should use AI only at home, not at school
    2. Conversations are not truly private — another reason to avoid typing sensitive personal information
    3. AI is unsafe to use for any reason
    4. Only conversations with safety-relevant content are reviewed

12. The 'school hallway test' for AI messages means:

    1. Only use AI for school-related questions
    2. If you wouldn't say it out loud in a school hallway in front of people you don't know well, don't type it into AI
    3. Run your AI messages by your teacher before sending
    4. Only use AI at school, not at home

13. You type something private into AI by mistake. What should you do?

    1. Nothing — it's already sent
    2. Delete the chat history if the app allows it, and tell a trusted adult if the information involved safety concerns
    3. Type several unrelated messages after it to confuse the system
    4. Close the app immediately and never use it again

14. Why does the fact that AI conversations may exist 'years from now' matter for what you type today?

    1. It means AI will remember to remind you of your own information
    2. Information has permanence — something embarrassing or personal that exists today can surface later when circumstances and consequences are very different
    3. It means AI gets smarter about you over time
    4. It only matters for adults, not for children or young teens

15. The main habit this lesson recommends for AI privacy is:

    1. Never use AI chat apps of any kind
    2. Before typing anything into AI, briefly ask yourself whether you'd be comfortable with it being seen by others you don't know
    3. Only use AI apps recommended by teachers
    4. Always use a fake name in AI apps