Privacy and Security Checklist for Uploading Audio to AI Tools

Audio recordings often contain more sensitive information than the people in them realize. Before uploading interviews or meetings to any AI tool, run through a quick privacy checklist.

Know what is in the recording

Names, contact details, financial figures, medical context, and unreleased plans all show up in casual conversation. Treat audio with the same care you would treat a document containing the same information.

If a recording contains regulated data such as health or financial details, confirm that your transcription provider supports the relevant compliance requirements before uploading.

Get clear consent

Tell participants the recording will be transcribed by a third-party service. Many regions require this disclosure for any recording, and it is good practice everywhere.

For ongoing programs like user research or recurring meetings, capture consent once and document it instead of asking repeatedly.

Verify the basics with your provider

Check where audio and transcripts are stored, how long they are retained, who can access them, and whether your data is used for model training. A serious provider will publish clear answers to all four.

You can review how STT AI handles uploads in the privacy notice at https://speechtotext.dev/privacy.