Privacy Policy for AI Writing Assistant Add-in
Last Updated: June 30, 2026
Overview
This privacy policy describes how our AI Writing Assistant (“the Add-in”) collects, uses, and protects your information. The Add-in is a writing tool that uses AI to help you think and reflect as you write. You can also choose to take part in an optional research study. We are committed to data minimization and to being transparent about exactly what we collect and store.
A key principle: you control what we log. You choose a logging level (described under “Your Logging Choices” below), and we never store more than that level allows. The one exception is a content-free record of the AI requests we are billed for, described under “AI Usage Records” — it contains none of your writing, and we keep it at every logging level.
Document Content and AI Processing
- To generate suggestions, the relevant portion of your document — the text around your cursor, any text you have selected, and the request you make — is sent to the configured AI model provider. This is essential to how the Add-in works.
- The AI provider is configurable. Today, suggestions are generated by OpenAI. We may add or switch to other providers (for example, Anthropic, or a model hosted on our own or campus infrastructure). When an on-premises or on-device model is used, your document text may not leave that controlled infrastructure; when a hosted provider such as OpenAI or Anthropic is used, your text is sent to that provider to produce the suggestion.
- We do not store your document text ourselves unless you have selected the “Full study logging” level (see below). Sending text to the AI provider to produce a suggestion is processing, not storage on our part.
Usage Logging and Analytics
- What we log depends on the logging level you choose. Lower levels record only how you use features; higher levels also record the AI suggestions you were shown, and, at the highest level, the document context.
- For product analytics and error monitoring we use PostHog. Analytics are disabled until you choose a level that permits them, and are tied to your account so that you can later have them deleted. They are not anonymous.
- No data is collected in the background when the Add-in is not in use.
AI Usage Records
- Every time the Add-in asks an AI provider for a suggestion, we record that the request happened: the time, which model answered it, how many tokens it consumed, and your account. We are charged for these requests, so we keep this record to run the service, understand our costs, and detect misuse.
- These records contain no content — not your document text, not your request, and not the suggestion you received. Only the counts.
- Because this is operational and billing information rather than research or analytics data, we keep it at every logging level, including “No logging”. Your logging level governs what we store about how you use the Add-in; it does not change the fact that we are billed for the AI requests you make.
- You sign in with Google. We receive your name and email address from Google to create and identify your account.
- Accounts and sessions are stored on our own (self-hosted) servers; we do not use a third-party identity provider to hold your account data.
Your Logging Choices
You choose one of four cumulative logging levels. We ask you to choose when you start, and you can change it at any time from the Add-in’s account settings. Each level includes everything in the levels below it.
- No logging — No usage analytics or event logging at all. (The content-free AI usage records described above are still kept, because we are billed for those requests.)
- Usage only — Which features you use (for example, which buttons and modes, and timing). No document text and no AI suggestions are stored. This is the starting point for new users.
- Usage + AI suggestions — Also stores the suggestions the assistant shows you. Your document text itself is still not stored.
- Full study logging — Also stores the document context sent to generate suggestions. This level is intended for participants who have agreed to join our research study.
Logged events are associated with your account (not an anonymous identifier), which is what makes deletion on request possible.
Research Participation
- You may be invited to participate in a longitudinal research study about AI writing assistance. Participation is optional and is not required to use the Add-in.
- If you choose to participate, you will review and agree to a separate study consent, and you will set your logging level to one that records the data the study needs.
- You can withdraw from the study at any time by lowering your logging level and, if you wish, requesting deletion of previously logged data.
- To provide AI-powered writing assistance and process your requests for suggestions.
- To maintain, debug, and improve the Add-in (at logging levels that permit it).
- For approved research, only for data collected under a study consent.
- We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information, and we do not share your document content except with the AI provider needed to generate your suggestions.
Data Storage and Security
- Logged events are stored on our servers, keyed to your account identifier.
- We retain logged events for as long as your account is active, and delete them when you request it (see “Your Rights and Choices”). Research data is retained according to the applicable study consent.
- AI usage records are retained as billing history. They hold no content, and they are detached from your identity if you delete your account.
- Data is protected with encryption in transit, and access is restricted to our team.
Data Sharing and Third Parties
We rely on the following third parties. Each has its own privacy policy governing its handling of data:
- The configured AI model provider (currently OpenAI) — receives the document context needed to generate suggestions, as described above.
- Google — for sign-in (we receive your name and email), and, when you use the Add-in inside Google Docs, for the document integration.
- PostHog — for product analytics and error monitoring, at logging levels that permit analytics.
- Microsoft — when you use the Add-in inside Microsoft Word.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.
Your Rights and Choices
- Change what is logged at any time by changing your logging level in the Add-in’s account settings.
- Erase your logged activity — from the account settings you can erase everything we have recorded about how you use the Add-in: your logged events and your analytics profile. You keep your account and can carry on using the Add-in; this is how you withdraw from the research study without leaving. Because your account is still open, the content-free AI usage records described above continue from that point on — we are still billed for the requests you make.
- Delete your account — this erases your logged activity (exactly as above) and then removes your account itself. Your AI usage records are stripped of your identity rather than erased: the token counts remain, so that our books still reconcile with what the AI provider billed us, but they are no longer linked to you or to each other — and they never contained any of your content.
- Access information about what we hold and how it is used by contacting us.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify users of any material changes through the Add-in or via email.
If you have questions about this privacy policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at: ken@thoughtful-ai.com
Data Storage Location and Privacy Regulations
- Data is stored on servers located in North America (United States and Canada).
- Users from all regions are welcome to use the Add-in. If you are in the European Union, by using the Add-in you acknowledge that your data will be transferred to and processed in North America.
Compliance
This Add-in is designed to comply with Microsoft and Google add-on store policies (when used in Microsoft Word or Google Docs), applicable data protection regulations, and academic research ethics guidelines. When using this Add-in through Microsoft Word, your use is also subject to the Microsoft Privacy Statement.
Note: This privacy policy applies specifically to our AI Writing Assistant Add-in and not to other products or services we may offer.
This Add-in is developed by the Thoughtful AI Lab at Calvin University. This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grant No. 2246145. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.