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ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude or Gemini? How business AI plans handle your data

ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Claude and Google Gemini can all draft emails, summarise documents and answer questions. For a business, the bigger difference isn’t which brand is cleverest. It’s whether staff are using a personal plan or a business plan, because the two treat your information very differently.

Here’s how each one handles your data, what that means under UK GDPR, and how to choose.

Personal plans versus business plans

All four companies offer free and paid personal plans alongside business plans. The rules on your data are quite different:

  • Personal plans may learn from your chats. OpenAI says it may use content from ChatGPT Free, Plus and Pro to train its models unless you switch this off. Google uses consumer Gemini activity to improve its services, including training AI models, while activity is switched on, and a selection of chats is read by human reviewers and kept for up to three years. Claude’s personal plans use chats for training only if the “Model Improvement” setting is on.
  • Business plans don’t, by default. ChatGPT Business and Enterprise, Claude Team and Enterprise, Copilot with a work account and Gemini in Google Workspace are not used to train the companies’ models by default.
  • Business plans come with a contract. They include a data processing agreement, admin controls over who can use them, and settings for how long chats are kept. Personal plans don’t.

So the most important rule for any business is simple: work data only goes into business plans, signed in with work accounts.

ChatGPT (OpenAI)

  • Plans for business: ChatGPT Business for teams and ChatGPT Enterprise for larger organisations.
  • Training: business inputs and outputs aren’t used to train models by default. On personal plans you can opt out under Settings, then Data controls, by turning off “Improve the model for everyone”.
  • Where data is stored: Enterprise and Edu customers can choose where their data is stored, including the UK or Europe. That option isn’t available on ChatGPT Business.
  • Security: OpenAI offers SAML single sign-on and has completed a SOC 2 audit for its business services.

Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft has renamed its business products: Microsoft 365 Copilot is now Microsoft Copilot, and Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is now Microsoft Copilot Chat. That makes them sound like the free consumer Copilot app, so what matters is whether you sign in with a work account or a personal one.

  • With a work account: Copilot is covered by Microsoft’s Enterprise Data Protection. Your prompts and answers get the same contract terms as your email and files, and aren’t used to train the underlying models. The paid licence only shows people content they already have permission to see.
  • With a personal account: Microsoft’s consumer terms and privacy statement apply instead, so keep work information out of it.
  • Where data is processed: Microsoft’s EU Data Boundary keeps processing in the EU for EU customers, but the UK isn’t part of it. Microsoft says customers outside the EU may have queries processed in the US, the EU or elsewhere, and expects to offer processing inside the UK by the end of 2026.
  • Good to know: Copilot can use models from Anthropic and OpenAI if your administrator allows it, and the Anthropic models are currently outside the EU Data Boundary.

Claude (Anthropic)

  • Plans for business: Claude Team and Claude Enterprise.
  • Training: Anthropic says it won’t use Team or Enterprise chats to train its models unless you opt in, although feedback you send with the thumbs up or down buttons may be used. On personal plans, training depends on the “Model Improvement” setting, and incognito chats are never used.
  • Contract and transfers: Anthropic’s data processing addendum applies to its business products and includes the UK’s International Data Transfer Addendum.
  • Where data is stored: Anthropic doesn’t currently offer UK or EU hosting for the Claude apps themselves. Regional hosting is only available when Claude is used through large cloud platforms.

Google Gemini

  • Plans for business: Gemini is built into Google Workspace. Business Standard and above include it in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Drive and Meet.
  • Training: Google says Workspace does not use customer data to train models without the customer’s permission, and your content isn’t reviewed by people.
  • Permissions: Gemini follows your existing Workspace sharing permissions, so the same “fix oversharing first” advice as for Copilot applies.
  • Where data is stored: Workspace lets you choose to store data in the US or Europe. There isn’t a UK-only option.

What UK GDPR means for AI

  • The usual rules apply. The ICO (now the Information Commission) has said there is no “AI exemption” to data protection law. If staff put personal data into an AI tool, your business is responsible for it.
  • You need a contract with the provider. Business plans come with a data processing agreement. Personal plans don’t, which is a strong reason not to use them for work.
  • Check international transfers. Most AI services process data in the US. The UK-US data bridge covers US companies certified under the Data Privacy Framework and its UK extension; otherwise the provider needs other approved safeguards, such as the UK International Data Transfer Addendum.
  • Be careful with automated decisions. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 changed the rules on decisions made solely by automated means, with most of its data protection changes in force from February 2026. If AI would make significant decisions about people, such as job applicants, get advice and put safeguards in place.

If you work with EU customers

The EU AI Act asks organisations that use AI to take measures to support their staff’s AI literacy. Since changes agreed in July 2026 there’s no required level or certificate, and internal training records are enough. It can apply to a UK business whose use of AI affects people in the EU.

Which should a small business choose?

  • On Microsoft 365? Copilot with work accounts is usually the simplest choice: it’s covered by the contract you already have and works inside the apps you use.
  • On Google Workspace? Gemini is already part of Business Standard and above.
  • Want ChatGPT or Claude as well? That’s fine on a business plan with single sign-on, added to your list of approved tools.
  • Whichever you pick: sign the data processing agreement, check the training and retention settings, switch on multi-factor authentication and write a short AI policy so staff know the rules.

Related articles

Sources

Details are correct at the time of writing. AI companies change their plans and terms often, so check the sources above before making a decision.

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