Compliance is not a brake on innovation—done right, it keeps AI dependable and trustworthy. Founders in Greece can move fast while respecting GDPR. Use this checklist to de‑risk pilots and impress enterprise buyers who scrutinize privacy from the first demo.
1) Map your data
List all datasets used for training and inference: sources, fields, sensitivity, retention, and owners. Mark personal data and special categories. Decide which fields must be redacted or tokenized before ingestion.
2) Choose a lawful basis
For most AI assistants, legitimate interests with opt‑out can work; for marketing personalization, consent is safer. Keep records of decisions and provide a public explanation in your privacy notice.
3) Sign DPAs and ensure EU hosting
Vendor selection should require a Data Processing Agreement, EU or EEA data residency options, breach notification SLAs, sub‑processor lists, and data export on termination.
4) Limit retention and enable deletion
Set time‑boxed retention for chat logs and training data. Provide admin tools to erase a user’s traces on request. Automate deletion jobs to avoid manual work piling up.
5) Human oversight and explainability
Label outputs that are AI‑generated. For high‑risk flows (loans, health), ensure a person can review and overrule decisions. Keep model cards that describe limitations and training sources.
6) Security controls
Enforce SSO, RBAC, and audit logs. Encrypt data at rest and in transit. Run red‑team prompts to test for data leakage or policy violations; log the results and fixes.
7) User rights
Make it easy to access, rectify, or delete data. For chat assistants, add an in‑interface link to a privacy page and a toggle to exclude the conversation from training.
8) Prepare for questions
Enterprise buyers will ask where data is stored, who can see it, how long you keep it, and how to export it. Having concise answers shortens sales cycles and builds trust.
Compliance is a product feature. Turning it into a habit early will save time and unlock deals across Greece and the EU.