Every week, there’s a new AI tool promising to save you time.
But here’s the truth most people miss: the more time you save, the more data you trade.
This week, we’re pulling the curtain back.
You’ll see where your information actually goes when you use tools like ChatGPT or Canva, what’s changing with the rise of AI agents that now act on their own, and how to build a version of ChatGPT that thinks like your second brain.
Thank you again for the incredible messages after last week’s issue, the saved hours, the “this finally makes sense” replies, and the quiet relief that AI doesn’t have to feel complicated. That’s exactly why I write this.
Let’s dive in.
AI Intel: The Hidden Data Trail You Leave Every Time You Use AI
What happened:
Most people don’t realise this, but when you use AI tools like ChatGPT, Canva Magic Write, or Notion AI, your input might be stored and used to improve future models.
Unless you’ve switched off data sharing, everything you type, from emails to client details, could technically leave your control.
Why it matters to work:
If you’ve ever asked ChatGPT to “rewrite this client proposal,” or uploaded internal notes for “better formatting,” that data may no longer be fully private.
For businesses, that means potential GDPR exposure and a growing need to protect what you share. AI doesn’t mean less risk; it means a different kind of risk: invisible, faster, and harder to undo.
What to do by Friday:
In ChatGPT: Go to Settings → Data Controls → Improve the model for everyone → Turn it off.
In Canva: Open Settings → Privacy → Data sharing → Disable model training.
In Notion AI: Visit Help & Support → AI Data Use → Opt out of training.
Create one rule for your team: If you wouldn’t email it to a stranger, don’t paste it into AI.
AI Intel: The Rise of AI Agents — Tools That Work While You Sleep
What happened:
A new generation of “AI agents” is emerging, systems that don’t just respond to prompts, but take action on their own.
Instead of waiting for you to ask, they can now complete multi-step goals like:
“Find 20 ideal leads, write personalised emails, and schedule follow-ups.”
Tools like Devin, AutoGPT, and OpenAI’s upcoming agents are testing this shift, and early results show they can already perform entire workflows that once took a team.
Why it matters to work:
This changes everything about how small teams and solopreneurs operate.
It’s not just about speed anymore; it’s about delegation to code.
AI agents will soon become your virtual staff: researching, replying, and reporting while you sleep.
But if you don’t set rules early, they’ll also make decisions you didn’t mean to delegate. One wrong prompt and your “assistant” might email a client, delete a file, or post something unfiltered.
What I will do by Friday: 🙂
I’m thinking of testing a few of these agents myself, the kind that actually do something useful, not just chat.
If you’d like me to try a few for you and share how to build a simple one that works for your business in next week’s newsletter, hit reply and tell me what kind of task you’d want automated.
Tool of the Week: ChatGPT — Your Personal Second Brain
What it does (in simple terms):
Most people use ChatGPT like a vending machine: ask a question, get an answer, walk away.
But that’s not where the real power is.
Used properly, ChatGPT can act as your second brain, a thinking partner that remembers your priorities, projects, and writing style, and helps you make better decisions over time.
The problem:
Every time you open a new chat, you wipe the slate clean.
That’s like hiring a brilliant assistant and deleting their memory every morning.
The fix (10-minute setup):
Open ChatGPT and start a new chat.
Name it something like “My Strategy Brain,” “My Business Manager,” or “My Marketing Partner.”
Paste this setup prompt:
You are my long-term assistant. Remember everything we discuss in this chat and use it to give better answers later.
Your goal is to help me make clearer decisions, stay organised, and save time each week.
When I share new information (like goals, notes, or context), store it as reference material.Each time you return, don’t start a new chat. Continue in this one. It will remember your tone, projects, and logic.
Use it this week:
Here’s how people are using this idea:
Weekly planning: “Here’s what I need to get done this week. Help me structure it into a daily plan.”
Decision support: “Remind me what we discussed about pricing strategies and update it with these new ideas.”
Accountability: “Summarise my progress this week and highlight what’s falling behind.”
Over time, this thread becomes your AI-powered command centre, a place where your work, thoughts, and actions stay connected.
No need to re-explain your context every time. It already knows you.
Why it’s powerful:
When you give ChatGPT memory and continuity, it shifts from being a Q&A machine into a system that thinks with you.
It reduces context switching, keeps you consistent, and gives sharper, more relevant answers because it actually knows your story.
It’s not about asking “better prompts”, it’s about building a relationship with the tool so it grows alongside your thinking.
Tooling for Trust: Building Your Seatbelt for the AI Era
It’s not hackers that worry me most.
It’s good people, smart, careful people, pasting client data into an AI tool because they just needed something done faster.
AI risk isn’t about headlines. It’s about inputs, what we feed the machine, knowingly or not.
And in this new world, you’re only as safe as your rules.
That’s why I built the AI Risk & Policy Toolkit, not to make anyone paranoid, but to give every business something they’ve never had before: a seatbelt for the AI era.
It doesn’t turn you into a compliance lawyer. It helps you stay confident while your team experiments, creates, and automates.
Inside, you’ll find:
Leak Mapping Worksheet – to spot where your data quietly slips into third-party tools.
Tool Vetting Checklist – five questions to test whether an AI tool deserves your trust.
AI Policy Templates – clear, editable rules you can drop straight into your team handbook.
Quarterly Review Sheet – a simple ritual to stay proactive instead of reactive.
The moment you write it down, panic turns into process.
That’s the point. You protect your business before you ever need protection.
If this sparked something in you, come say hello on LinkedIn; that’s where I share the deeper lessons, tools, and systems behind ConfigurAI.
For the human side, the messy experiments, reflections, and moments that shape the work, you’ll find that on Instagram.
And if you want to see how it all connects, the business, the story, the mission, it’s all at orgesameli.com
Because what we’re building here isn’t just about AI.
It’s about making technology feel human again
Thanks for reading,
See you next Wednesday with more ways to cut the busywork and get your time back.
Orgesa Meli
P.S. It would mean a lot if you forward this to someone who’d benefit. I’m building a community of people who want to work smarter with AI, not just a list of names. Subscribe to my community here.
