AI glossary

Personal account

Also called personal AI account, consumer AI account, personal plan.

A personal account is an AI account you set up for yourself with an AI provider, free or paid, under its consumer terms rather than a business agreement. Paying buys better models and higher limits, not business terms for your data, and, as of October 2026, your chats may be used for training, depending on a privacy setting you control.

Think of it as

Your own mobile contract, not your employer’s phone system.

Why it matters at work

Paying isn’t the same as being protected: for work information, use your organisation’s approved account. Module 1 shows the difference, and which kinds of work belong where.

Sources

Updates to consumer terms and privacy policy (an example of one provider’s training choice on personal plans, not on business plans) (opens in a new tab) Anthropic, 28 August 2025; read 29 October 2026.