Don't Be the New Brenda: Your AI Safety Survival Guide

Just because your company doesn't have an AI policy doesn't mean you shouldn't. In this episode, Katie Branley and Dr. Ericka Pitman — the AI Implementation Ladies and founders of Empowered AI Learning — break down the reality of the 2026 AI landscape, where 91% of companies use AI but only 37% provide any formal guidance on keeping data safe. Learn the Postcard Principle for prompting, why your browser extensions are hidden back doors, and how to treat your AI settings like your dental health. It's all about the hygiene.In This Episode: The Hasbro Breach — The April 2026 data breach and why digital toys put your family's data at riskThe Postcard Principle — Why you should never put anything in a prompt you wouldn't write on a public postcardShadow AI — The risks of using personal accounts for work and the updated Brenda from accounting phishing trap Tech Hygiene Audit — A 15-minute quarterly checklist to secure your settings and extensions Retention Comparison — Which platforms delete your data in 90 days vs. those that keep it foreverPolicy Guardrails — Using state frameworks like California and Illinois to guide your personal AI workflow before your company doesResources Mentioned:Hasbro SEC Form 8-K Filing — April 1, 2026IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025Search: Shadow AI risks for more on hidden extensionsSearch: your state + AI policy — California, Illinois, Texas, and North Carolina are good starting pointsSearch: your professional organization + AI guidelinesFind Us: 🌐 Empowered AI Learning 📰 Substack: EmpowerED AI with Dr. ErickaAI Mixtape — where you understand the AI, and you stay human. New episodes every Monday. Subscribe so you never miss one. — Katie & Dr. Ericka, The AI Implementation Ladies