NITDA warns Nigerians against sharing NIN, BVN, others with AI platforms

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has cautioned Nigerians against sharing sensitive personal information, such as identification numbers, bank details, photographs, and medical results, with artificial intelligence (AI) platforms. In an advisory titled "Advisory on the Safe Use of AI Platforms," the agency urged the public to be mindful of the risks associated with AI chatbots and assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and Meta AI, which are increasingly being used for various purposes, including schoolwork, business, job applications, health inquiries, and personal matters.

NITDA emphasized that information entered into AI platforms may be retained, logged, and used to train the provider's AI models, potentially leading to data breaches and exposure of personal details. The agency warned that such information could be used for identity theft, impersonation, or financial fraud. Moreover, AI tools might provide inaccurate or outdated answers, which could have serious consequences when used in health, legal, financial, or academic contexts.

NITDA advised users to anonymize or pseudonymize personally identifiable information and sensitive data before using AI tools. The agency also urged users to verify the privacy and data-handling terms of AI platforms and refrain from uploading internal documents unless authorized. For organizations, NITDA recommended implementing AI governance or AI transformation policies to define approved tools, permitted use cases, data-handling rules, and accountability for AI use.

The agency also advised organizations and their employees to adhere to existing AI, information security, and data protection policies. NITDA urged users to exercise caution when providing information to AI platforms, stating, "Many share NIN, BVN, bank info, photos & medical results not knowing it may be stored outside your control." The agency concluded the advisory with the message, "Think Before You Prompt."