AI and Machine Learning in Sensitive Data Management

Cole PrudenArtificial Intelligence, Personal Data, Sensitive Data

A title image for a blog post AI and machine learning in sensitive data management by PII Tools

With more tools at our disposal than ever before, how can you use artificial intelligence and machine learning to handle PII and sensitive data effectively?

Modern AI & Machine Learning

At this point, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) don’t need much of an introduction. Our phones, cars, televisions… even some smart refrigerators come equipped with AI and ML algorithms.


It wouldn’t be too outlandish to say that these two giant leaps in modern technology are likely to change nearly every aspect of human life in the not-so-distant future. Maybe you don’t care so much about how smart your fridge is, but one area where these modern advances are already making leaps and bounds is AI-driven sensitive data discovery and management.

Increase Efficiency with AI-driven Automation

As much as there’s been hype and excitement surrounding the conception of artificial intelligence and machine learning, fear of job losses and human replacement have been close behind. But when it comes to discovering, collecting, and storing sensitive data, AI and ML are freeing employees’ hands, allowing them to focus on less mind-numbing tasks.

If you’re more of a visionary learner, just imagine how long it might take you to read through a long-winded company email to ensure it doesn’t contain any sensitive data.

An example of an email with Loren Ipsum by PII Tools

Now imagine the same email (or a stack of 1000 unique emails), but this time, it’s being handled by an AI-driven data discovery tool capable of sifting through massive datasets with unparalleled efficiency and accuracy. I think you can see where I’m going with this…

And that’s not even the best part. Because AI also learns as it goes, it will continue to adjust to your specific sensitive data management scenario and evolve into an even faster, hyperspecific tool just for you.

Preventive Data Protection

The next great advantage of AI and ML in sensitive data management is the ability to proactively recognize threats as they’re being uploaded to your system.

Many companies see countless file uploads daily, both internally from employees and outside clients. These files could contain potentially at-risk sensitive data that isn’t regulatorily compliant and shouldn’t be stored at all or require some form of remediation to secure the PII from any unauthorized eyes.

A passport example for detection in PII Tools


That’s where AI data protectors come into play. Their job is to automatically scan every file as it’s uploaded and flag anything out of place or risky. And the way these tools work can also be trained to specific workflows, thus avoiding false flags and promoting efficiency.

Sensitive Data Privacy and Compliance

Now, given this is an article about sensitive data management, we’d be remiss by not mentioning regulatory compliance—the two never go anywhere without the other.

The GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA, and many more like them sure have a lot to say about how sensitive data can be collected, stored, sold, and so on. For many companies, these regulations are seen as a great hurdle. How can you effectively balance both data utility and data privacy?

With AI and ML, that’s how! AI tools can be specifically trained to the GDPR or any other data-protecting legislature, offering tailored mechanisms for data anonymization, de-identification, and more. And they can do all this while still preserving privacy and facilitating valuable data analysis and insights.

Automate Your Sensitive Data Management

There’s never been a better time to harness the full potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning in sensitive data management. AI and ML save time and resources, proactively safeguard you and your stored data, and ensure you remain ever-compliant.
When used ethically and by following regulatory frameworks, you can now experience a future where sensitive data management isn’t only efficient but also ethically sound. And that’s the AI-driven future we all want.

Need AI? Automate Your Data Management with PII Tools’ AI-Driven Data Discovery Software!