Blog

Can you safely use AI on intellectual property you can't afford to leak?

Featuring From the Weekly Meeting. Published July 11, 2026.

Yes, but not with public models like ChatGPT or Google: protecting IP you can’t afford to leak means keeping the sensitive parts on infrastructure you control. Guest Herman Moore explains why he won’t put his patented IP into public AI tools, and Collin Thomas, Michael Wacht, and Matthew Sutherland break down the actual architecture needed for data privacy: local models, hardware requirements, and deciding what runs on-machine versus what gets sent out.

Understanding the difference between public models and local AI is critical for protecting sensitive business data. This discussion provides a clear framework for building a secure, private AI setup without sacrificing capability.

More from the Weekly Meeting

If you understand RAG, are you already too technical?

  • Mike Thomson
  • Collin Thomas

Mike Thomson and Collin Thomas discuss why understanding technical concepts like Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) might mean you've lost touch with how normal people use tools.

Join the AI for Life community.

  • Matthew Sutherland

Matthew Sutherland promotes the regular Wednesday session of AI for Life.

The one settings gotcha that will break all your file links.

  • Michael Wacht

Michael Wacht shares a specific settings gotcha that will break your file links if you miss it -- the kind of practical tip that saves hours of frustration.

Community

Keep going with AI for Life

This clip comes from the AI for Life Weekly Meeting, live Wednesdays at 11 a.m. Eastern. Join the community to be in the room for the next one.