At AYOA, we want you to feel confident about how our AI works and how your data is protected. We use AI to enhance creativity and productivity — never to replace your judgment or control.
Below you’ll find answers to the most common questions about our AI features, data handling, and security.
What is AI and how does it work?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is technology that can recognise patterns in data and provide suggestions, insights, or automated support.
Think of it like a knowledgeable assistant that can:
- Understand what you’re working on
- Suggest relevant ideas and content
- Help organise your thoughts
And save time on repetitive or complex tasks
How does AI help with decision-making?
AYOA’s AI doesn’t make decisions for you — it supports you by:
- Spotting connections and themes in your work
- Suggesting alternative ideas or approaches
- Organising complex information in clear ways
- Handling routine tasks so you can focus on strategy
The final decisions are always yours.
How do we use AI in AYOA?
Mind Map Enhancement
- Suggests related topics and ideas
- Expands thinking with relevant content
- Helps plot out logical structures
- Sparks creativity with fresh suggestions
Audio Transcription
- Converts speech into text
- Captures meeting notes and voice ideas
- Makes audio content accessible
Content Processing
- Supports translation, import/export, and content structuring
Who are our AI service providers?
OpenAI (Generative AI)
- Powers idea generation and content creation
- May retain inputs/outputs for up to 30 days to detect misuse
- Data retention per OpenAI’s privacy policy
- Runs on Microsoft Azure with enterprise-grade cloud security (encryption, monitoring, compliance with ISO, SOC, GDPR, HIPAA)
DeepGram (Audio Transcription)
- Converts audio to text
- Data retention per DeepGram’s privacy policy
- Runs on AWS infrastructure with global compliance and security controls
- AI Developers at OpenAI and Deepgram incorporate fairness-awareness testing and continually assess AI’s performance with diverse testing data and HITL (Human in the Loop) analysis to mitigate bias and validate data integrity. Our AYOA team supplements this with regular reviews of AI performance to support continual evolution and accuracy of AI system data.
How is my data stored and protected?
- Encryption at rest: Databases and file storage use AES-256 or equivalent
- Encryption in transit: All data transmission uses TLS 1.2+
- Hosting locations: Data centres in the UK and US with enterprise-grade security controls
In plain terms: your data is encrypted both when it’s stored and when it’s sent, so it cannot be read by unauthorised parties.
What are the benefits of AI in AYOA?
- Personalisation: Tailored suggestions and adaptive interfaces
- Productivity: Time savings, idea generation, better organisation
- Accessibility: Neuro-inclusive design supports diverse thinking and learning styles
What are the risks of using AI?
Technical risks
- Dependency on third-party providers (e.g. outages could affect features)
- Data processing is required for AI to function
Information risks
- AI suggestions may not always be accurate or unbiased — AI outputs must always be reviewed by a human
- Privacy considerations: data is processed by cloud partners, but under strict safeguards
- Under the EU AI Act, AYOA’s intended purpose and potential risk is classified as Limited as per Article 50. This means we must be transparent when AI is used in AYOA and that AI output is classified as such.
How do we manage these risks?
- Monitoring: Continuous checks on AI performance and reliability
- Data protection: All processing follows strict privacy and classification policies in line with GDPR Article 22 as a minimum
- Security: ISO 27001:2022 and Cyber Essentials+ certified, with regular audits (internal and external) plus alignment with the latest NCSC governance. In 2026, our AI Assessments will align with newly developed ICO guidelines, at this time anticipated to be ISO 42001.
- Fallback: Core AYOA features continue to work even if AI is unavailable
Does AI in AYOA create plagiarism risks?
AYOA’s AI is designed to assist your thinking and organisation, not to write essays or generate finished academic work for you. It provides suggestions, prompts, and structuring ideas that you can build on — but the final content is always yours.
You must not present AI generated content as your own or fail to acknowledge where AI has assisted you. Your academic institution will provide you with guidelines on acceptable use of AI and may use detection tools to identify examples of plagiarism.
Our recommendations:
AI-generated suggestions may draw on patterns from training data but do not copy or reproduce source material verbatim.
You remain responsible for ensuring that any final work (essays, reports, research) follows academic integrity and citation standards.
We encourage all users — especially students — to use AI as a creative assistant and idea organiser, not as a substitute for original writing or critical thinking.
This way, AYOA helps you spark ideas, save time, and stay organised while keeping your work authentically yours.
What if a data breach occurs?
- Incident response: In line with ISO 27001:2022 procedures
- Client notification: Within 48 hours of discovering a breach affecting your data
- Regulatory reporting: ICO notified within 72 hours if required under GDPR
- Support: Assistance with account security, recovery, and extra safeguards
We maintain open communication throughout any incident resolution.
Why have we chosen to use AI?
- Neurodiversity: Multiple ways to access and organise information
- Creativity: AI amplifies human ideas, it doesn’t replace them
- Accessibility: Makes planning and complex tasks more manageable
- Competitiveness: Provides cutting-edge tools to match modern work needs
Where and when is AI used in AYOA?
- User control: AI is optional and only runs when you engage with it
- Processing: Securely handled by certified cloud partners (Azure and AWS)
- Transparency: AI-generated content is always labelled, and you can disable AI features if you prefer
Who can you contact with questions?
For any concerns about AI features, data security, or privacy:
support@ayoa.com
Our commitment to transparency
We believe you have the right to understand how AI is used in AYOA. Clear communication builds trust and helps you make informed choices.
This information is provided as part of our commitment to transparency and is regularly updated to reflect our current AI practices and emerging governance globally. For further information, please refer to our privacy policy and terms of service.
