Before connecting an AI assistant to customer conversations on WhatsApp, Messenger or your website, ask more than how quickly it replies. Who can access customer information, who can change the assistant's instructions, and what happens when it answers incorrectly? A buying decision needs testable boundaries, not a generic "secure" badge.
Map the data journey first
List what enters the conversation: names, contact details, order information and, in some businesses, payment details or documents. Ask the vendor what is stored, how long it is retained, who can access it and how export or deletion works when the relationship ends. Different types of information may be handled differently.
If your organization processes medical, financial or other particularly sensitive information, obtain specialist review before deployment. This article is not legal advice on Egyptian privacy obligations and does not replace contract or policy review.
Three tests worth doing in a demo
Access control test: Can a person answering chats be separated from someone editing the knowledge base or system settings? Ask to see the roles and any available change history. Do not assume a specific permission model without a demonstration.
Unknown-answer test: Ask about a price or policy not present in the approved company knowledge. Does the assistant invent a confident answer, or acknowledge the gap and involve a person? Repeat with varied wording rather than one rehearsed question.
Sensitive-request test: In a controlled sandbox, ask the assistant to disclose another customer's details or ignore company instructions. Review how it behaves and what protections the vendor can demonstrate. Use synthetic test data, not real personal records without authorization.
Put responsibility in writing
Ask for written answers about access management, retention, incident response, external data processors and human handoff. When a feature is described as available, clarify the plan, configuration and proof required to use it. A verbal assurance is not a technical control.
The NIST AI Risk Management Framework, published in January 2023, offers a voluntary structure for governing, mapping, measuring and managing AI risks. It is a global risk-management reference, not a security certification for any product or proof of Egyptian regulatory compliance.
A realistic procurement exercise
Imagine a service business receiving appointment inquiries and complaints. Use fictional customers in a test workspace. Have a support agent answer one question, a supervisor review a second, and the AI face a third question with no approved answer. Observe how the conversation reaches a person and how the knowledge is corrected. If a critical requirement cannot be demonstrated, record it as an unresolved purchasing condition.
The right choice is not simply the vendor that says it uses encryption. It is the one whose boundaries, evidence and division of responsibilities you can understand and verify.
What Mr. AI currently states
The published Mr. AI FAQ says customer data is encrypted, that businesses can add knowledge and test responses, and that a human can take over a conversation. These published statements do not establish unspecified compliance certifications, retention periods, detailed audit logs or controls that have not been documented. Ask for clarification and test each requirement relevant to your organization.
Start with five non-negotiable questions and test them before moving live customer information. See also shared-inbox permissions and testing an AI customer-service agent before launch. You can try Mr. AI using non-sensitive test data.
