While generative AI is revolutionizing how we create and manipulate visual content, it's also opening new doors for potential security risks. According to Salesforce research, 73% of workers believe generative AI introduces new security risks, and the UK government identifies risks in the digital sphere including cyber-attacks, fraud, scams, and impersonation as most likely to manifest with the highest impact through 2025.
The good news? You don't need to choose between innovation and protection.
Security challenges
The dangers of generative AI extend far beyond simple privacy concerns—they represent a new frontier of digital risks that many users haven't even considered. With 80% of data experts agreeing that AI is making data security more challenging, understanding these risks is critical.
Data Exposure: Your Creative Assets at Risk
When you upload images, videos, or audio files to AI platforms—whether for image generation, video creation, or face swapping—you're essentially handing over your creative assets to a third party.
According to NTT DATA research, information leakage could occur if the information that a user inputs into the generative AI is used as learning material for the generative AI. Some platforms store this data indefinitely, potentially using it to train future models or, worse, exposing it through data breaches.
Imagine your private family photos or proprietary business designs suddenly appearing in someone else's AI-generated content.
Deepfake Weaponization
Perhaps the most chilling risk is how easily generative AI can be turned against you. Deepfake fraud is exploding—deepfake-related phishing and fraud incidents have seen an alarming surge of 3,000% in 2023, with a deepfake attempt occurring every five minutes in 2024.
According to Security.org research, three seconds of audio is sometimes all that's needed to produce an 85 percent voice match from the original to a clone.
A single high-quality photo of your face can be transformed into convincing deepfake videos, potentially damaging your reputation or being used for identity theft. The financial impact is staggering: businesses faced an average loss of nearly $500,000 due to deepfake-related fraud in 2024, with large enterprises experiencing losses up to $680,000.
Intellectual Property Theft
Your original creations—whether they're architectural designs, artistic concepts, or innovative product prototypes—could be inadvertently incorporated into AI training datasets. This means your intellectual property might resurface in other users' generated content, potentially compromising your competitive advantage or copyright claims.
The challenge is compounded by the fact that generative AI may plausibly output untrue content through hallucinations and may output content with copyright infringement issues.
Essential Generative AI Security Practices
Secure generative AI usage isn't about avoiding the technology—it's about using it intelligently. As the OWASP Top 10 for LLMs project emphasizes, organizations need systematic approaches to address AI security risks.
Choose Platforms Wisely
Not all AI platforms are created equal when it comes to security. Before uploading any content to platforms like FAL's model endpoints, investigate the platform's data handling policies. Look for services that offer:
- End-to-end encryption for file uploads and processing
- On-device processing capabilities that keep your data local
- Transparent privacy policies that explicitly state how your data is used
- API security features like those outlined in FAL's API documentation
Platforms built on robust infrastructure, such as those supporting workflow endpoints, often provide better security guarantees and faster processing times, reducing the window of vulnerability for your data.
"Clean Room" Approach
Create a security buffer between your sensitive data and AI platforms. Before uploading any content:
- Remove metadata from images and videos that could reveal location, device information, or timestamps
- Use watermarked or lower-resolution versions for initial testing with tools like image upscalers or enhancement models
- Strip out identifying information from any visual content before using background removal or other processing tools
- Create sanitized copies specifically for AI processing
This approach lets you experiment with AI capabilities without exposing your most valuable assets.
The Art of Selective Sharing
Think of generative AI security like a vault with multiple compartments. Not everything needs the same level of protection, but everything needs intentional placement. According to Palo Alto Networks research, only 24% of ongoing GenAI projects take security into consideration, despite 82% of participants emphasizing that secure and reliable AI is crucial for their business's success.
For high-sensitivity projects, consider using AI tools that process data locally on your device rather than in the cloud.
For medium-sensitivity content, use platforms with strong privacy commitments and data deletion guarantees. For low-sensitivity experimentation, you have more flexibility in platform choice, such as testing with FAL's various model APIs.
Advanced Protection Strategies for Power Users
As you become more sophisticated in your AI usage, your security strategies should evolve accordingly. The 2025 Thales Data Threat Report reveals that more than 70% of survey participants reported funding AI-specific security tools.
Implement Version Control for AI Assets
Track every piece of content you've shared with AI platforms. Maintain a log that includes:
- Which platforms received which assets (including specific model endpoints used)
- When the data was uploaded and processed
- What security measures were in place
- When data deletion was requested
This audit trail becomes crucial if you ever need to trace potential security breaches or intellectual property disputes, especially given that 55% of organizations used AI in at least one business unit or function in 2023.
Establish Data Quarantine Periods
Before integrating AI-generated content into important projects, implement a quarantine period. Monitor for any unusual activity, unexpected appearances of your content, or security alerts. This cooling-off period can prevent you from unknowingly using compromised assets in critical applications. This is particularly important given that 179 deepfake incidents were reported in the first quarter of 2025 alone, marking a 19% rise compared to the total number of incidents recorded in 2024.
Protecting Your Business
If you're using generative AI for business purposes, your security considerations multiply exponentially. Research shows that 92% of Fortune 500 companies are using OpenAI technology, making enterprise security critical.
Clear Usage Policies
Establish organization-wide guidelines that specify:
- Which AI platforms are approved for different types of content (consult FAL's client libraries for integration options)
- What constitutes sensitive data that requires special handling
- Who has authority to upload what types of assets
- How to handle client or customer data in AI workflows
The importance of clear policies is underscored by the fact that 80% of companies don't have protocols to handle deepfake attacks.
Multi-Layer Approval Processes
For business-critical content, require multiple approvals before any AI processing. This creates natural checkpoints where security concerns can be identified and addressed. Consider implementing authentication mechanisms as described in FAL's API documentation.
Security Audits
Conduct quarterly reviews of your AI tool usage, examining what data has been shared, with which platforms, and under what security conditions. This ongoing vigilance helps identify potential vulnerabilities before they become actual breaches. The urgency is clear: fraud losses facilitated by generative AI technologies are predicted to escalate to US$40 billion in the United States by 2027.
Future-Proofing AI Security
The generative AI landscape evolves rapidly, and so should your security approach.
Stay Informed About Platform Changes
AI companies frequently update their terms of service, privacy policies, and data handling practices. Set up alerts or regular reviews to catch changes that might affect your security posture.
The regulatory landscape is also evolving rapidly, with the EU AI Act deepfake labeling requirements becoming mandatory on August 2, 2025.
Invest in Emerging Security Tools
New security solutions specifically designed for AI workflows are emerging constantly. These might include:
- AI-specific VPNs
- Specialized encryption tools
- Platforms designed with privacy-by-design principles
- Integration tools like those available for Vercel and other platforms
Build Redundant Protection Systems
Don't rely on a single security measure. Layer multiple protection strategies—platform selection, data sanitization, access controls, and monitoring—to create a robust defense system. This is essential as humans achieved only 73% accuracy in detecting audio deepfakes in a recent University of Florida study, highlighting the need for both human vigilance and technical solutions.
Secure AI Future Starts Now
The intersection of creativity and technology has never been more exciting, but it's also never required more thoughtful security practices. By implementing these generative AI security strategies, you're not just protecting your current projects—you're building a foundation for safely exploring the incredible innovations yet to come.
When you know your security practices are solid, you can focus on what really matters: pushing the boundaries of what's possible with AI-powered creativity using tools like FAL's extensive model library while maintaining robust security.
Start with one or two security practices that feel most relevant to your current AI usage, then gradually build out your protection strategy.
The future of visual AI is bright, and with the right security practices, you can safely be part of shaping it. Whether you're using client libraries for mobile development, web applications, or exploring the latest in super-resolution technology, security should always be your foundation.
