What happens to your documents when you use AI
AI features send your document's text to OpenAI's API with storage turned off; scan restoration sends page images to fal.ai. Your documents aren't used to train models. In Settings → Data & privacy you can choose Private AI or delete stored AI data.
Updated 2 min read
What's sent where
- Document text goes to OpenAI's API when you use an AI feature, with storage turned off on their side.
- Page images go to the AI provider for page-image features: Detect fields, AI OCR, Ask on short scanned files and Chat with an image.
- Page images go to fal.ai only when you use scan restoration.
- Only what the feature needs is sent. Your documents aren't used to train models.
- Document text is treated as data, never as instructions, which limits prompt injection from document content.
- Browser tools are separate: they never upload your file and don't use AI.
Standard AI and Private AI
| Standard AI | Private AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Extracted text and search index | Kept per document so repeat questions are fast and cheap | Kept only for the request, then discarded |
| Chat history and AI tool results | Saved so you can reopen them without paying again | Not saved; each request starts fresh |
| Scan restoration | Available | Off |
Step 1: Open Data & privacy
Go to Settings → Data & privacy and find AI processing.
Step 2: Choose a mode
Select Standard AI or Private AI. Switching to Private AI deletes stored indexes.
Step 3: Fine-tune or clear stored data
In Standard AI, untick Keep each document’s AI index between requests or Save AI history (chats and tool results) if you don't want them kept, or click Delete stored AI index now (tick Also delete AI history to clear chats too). Your documents themselves aren't touched.
AI output can be wrong or incomplete, so check summaries and answers against the cited pages; see How accurate AI answers are. For more on privacy, see private document AI and using AI on confidential documents.
Can I turn AI off completely?
AI runs only when you use an AI feature, or when a workflow or connected agent you set up runs one. Otherwise no document text is sent to an AI provider.
Does deleting a document delete its AI data?
Yes. Stored text, search indexes, chats and AI results belong to the document and are erased with it when it leaves the trash.
Whose AI setting applies on a document someone shared with me?
The stricter of the two. If either the owner or you use Private AI, nothing is kept; retention needs both settings to allow it.
Can I delete one saved result?
Yes. Open it under Previous results in the AI assistant and click Delete. Documents it created, such as a translated copy, stay in your library.
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