So, you’re looking at HubSpot’s AI tools. It makes sense. They’re built right into the platform and promise to make life a lot easier for your marketing, sales, and service teams.
But the moment you think about flipping that switch, a big question pops up: is my customer data actually safe? Getting a straight answer on HubSpot AI security is a must for any business that cares about data privacy and keeping customers' trust.
This guide will give you a no-nonsense look at how HubSpot's AI handles your data, the key security issues you need to think about, and how you can bring AI into your workflow without getting stuck in one ecosystem forever.
What is HubSpot AI security?
At first glance, HubSpot has a solid security story. If you head over to their Trust Center, you’ll see they’re committed to responsible AI built on a few key ideas.
A screenshot of the HubSpot Trust Center page, which details their commitment to responsible AI. The HubSpot AI security is a key feature.They talk about "Ethical and Transparent AI," which is all about keeping humans in the loop and using automated checks to filter out bad content. They also mention "Privacy-First Data Protection," pointing to things like zero data retention from their partners and data controls for EU customers.
HubSpot is also upfront about using other companies, like OpenAI, to power their AI features. A core part of their promise is that your customer data is never used to train these big, public models. That's a good starting point, but it's not the whole story. If you're serious about security, you have to look past the marketing page to understand what's really happening with your data.
Three key considerations for HubSpot AI security
While HubSpot gives you a nice overview, you need to dig a bit deeper to see the full picture. How your data is handled in the real world can be a little different from the promises. Here are three things you should absolutely look at before going all-in.
1. Where your data goes
When you use an AI feature in HubSpot, your data doesn't just stay put. To summarize a conversation or draft a reply, things like CRM records, customer emails, or call notes get sent to outside providers for processing.
The main issue here is the extra layer of complexity. Sure, HubSpot has contracts in place, like zero-retention policies, that stop their partners from storing your data or using it for training. But now, your data security depends on their partners' security, too. For businesses dealing with regulations like GDPR or CCPA, knowing this entire data journey isn't just a good idea, it's a requirement.
The real limitation is that you're stuck with HubSpot’s choice of AI providers. You don't get a say in which models they use, how secure those partners are, or how those relationships are managed. You're not just trusting HubSpot; you're trusting their entire supply chain.
This is where a dedicated AI tool that plugs into your current setup offers a much clearer alternative. For example, eesel AI connects to all the places your knowledge already lives, whether that's Confluence, Google Docs, or past tickets in a help desk like Zendesk. You don't have to move all that sensitive information into one giant CRM. This approach keeps data movement to a minimum and gives you way more control from day one.
A screenshot of the eesel.ai landing page, showing how it addresses HubSpot AI security concerns by connecting to existing knowledge bases.::A screenshot of the eesel.ai landing page, showing how it addresses HubSpot AI security concerns by connecting to existing knowledge bases.2. How much control you really have
HubSpot's AI tools are designed to be easy to use, and that's a huge part of their appeal. But that convenience often means giving up fine-grained control. For a lot of teams, the AI can feel like a "black box", you put a request in, get a response out, and have very little say about what happens in between.
This creates a couple of big risks. First, when the built-in AI isn't flexible enough, your team will find workarounds. They might start using unapproved "shadow AI" tools, pasting sensitive customer data into public websites and creating huge security gaps. Second, without proper controls, a built-in AI could accidentally pull sensitive internal notes into a customer-facing reply. That would be embarrassing at best and a compliance nightmare at worst.
You can't easily limit the AI's knowledge to specific topics or create custom workflows beyond what HubSpot offers out of the box. You're just waiting on their product roadmap.
A platform built for customization, like eesel AI, puts you back in control.
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Scoped Knowledge: You can create different AI assistants and tell each one exactly which documents to use. For example, you can have an internal IT bot that only draws from your IT policies in Sharepoint, so it won't ever try to answer a sales or HR question.
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Selective Automation & Custom Actions: With eesel AI, you decide exactly which tickets get an automated response. You can also use a simple prompt editor to define the AI's personality and the specific things it's allowed to do, from escalating a ticket to checking an order status in Shopify through a secure connection.
A screenshot of the eesel AI platform showing how users can customize AI personas and define specific workflow actions, addressing the lack of control in HubSpot AI security.::A screenshot of the eesel AI platform showing how users can customize AI personas and define specific workflow actions, addressing the lack of control in HubSpot AI security.3. The risk of platform lock-in
HubSpot's goal is to be your one-stop shop for everything. Their AI is a great feature to pull you deeper into their world, encouraging you to run every part of your business within their platform. It’s a tempting offer, but it has a downside.
This all-in-one approach leads to serious vendor lock-in. If your business needs change down the road and you want to switch to a different help desk or CRM, your entire AI setup gets left behind. All the knowledge it's learned is gone. You're stuck with a "rip and replace" situation that's expensive and messy.
An even bigger problem is that there’s no safe way to test HubSpot's AI before you unleash it on your customers. You basically have to turn it on and hope for the best. For any company that cares about its customer experience, that’s a pretty big gamble.
A safer, more flexible approach is to use a platform-agnostic tool like eesel AI, which works with the tools you're already using.
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Go Live in Minutes: eesel AI is fully self-serve. You can connect your help desk and knowledge sources in a few clicks and get going right away. No mandatory sales calls or waiting on developers.
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Powerful Simulation Mode: Before your AI agent talks to a single customer, you can test it on thousands of your past tickets. This feature gives you a clear forecast of its performance and resolution rate, letting you find knowledge gaps and fine-tune its behavior in a completely risk-free sandbox.
The eesel AI simulation dashboard, a powerful tool for ensuring HubSpot AI security by testing performance on past tickets before going live.::The eesel AI simulation dashboard, a powerful tool for ensuring HubSpot AI security by testing performance on past tickets before going live.| Feature | HubSpot Built-in AI | eesel AI Plug-in |
|---|---|---|
| Implementation | Platform-wide switch | Self-serve, piece-by-piece rollout |
| Testing | Live with real customers | Risk-free simulation on past tickets |
| Knowledge Sources | Mostly HubSpot data | Connects to any tool you use |
| Platform Dependency | High (vendor lock-in) | Low (works with any platform) |
| Customization | Limited to built-in features | Full control over prompts, actions, & scope |
How eesel AI provides a secure alternative
Using AI shouldn't mean you have to give up control over your security or get locked into one vendor's world. While HubSpot AI security is decent for an all-in-one platform, its tightly integrated design creates some real limitations that can be a problem for growing businesses.
eesel AI is built on a different idea. It works as a secure, independent AI layer that connects to your existing tools, so you get the benefits of AI without the trade-offs.
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You stay in control: You get to decide what knowledge the AI can access, which conversations it can handle, and exactly how it should behave.
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You avoid vendor lock-in: eesel works with your favorite help desk, whether that's Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom, or something else. If you decide to switch, your AI brain moves with you.
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You deploy with confidence: Thanks to the simulation mode and a super simple setup, you can be live in minutes, not months, and you'll know exactly how your AI is going to perform.
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You get transparent pricing: The plans are simple and predictable. There are no surprise per-resolution fees, so you can scale your support without getting a surprise bill.
A screenshot of the eesel AI public pricing page, highlighting transparent pricing as a secure alternative to less clear HubSpot AI security and pricing models.::A screenshot of the eesel AI public pricing page, highlighting transparent pricing as a secure alternative to less clear HubSpot AI security and pricing models.Take control of your HubSpot AI security
Let's be honest, using AI is becoming less of a choice and more of a necessity. While platforms like HubSpot offer some powerful, built-in AI, their security model forces you to make some tough compromises on data control, flexibility, and vendor lock-in.
A smart AI strategy needs to be transparent and able to grow with your business. By choosing a solution that plugs into the tools you already have, you give your teams the power of AI without sacrificing security or control. Instead of handing over the keys to a single platform, you can use an AI layer that keeps you in the driver's seat.
Ready to deploy AI on your own terms?
See how you can launch a secure AI support agent that learns from your existing knowledge and works with the help desk you already love.
Start a free trial with eesel AI or book a demo to see it in action.
This video explains how HubSpot's AI safeguards your sensitive data, an important aspect of HubSpot AI security.
Frequently asked questions
HubSpot AI security generally refers to how the platform protects customer data when using its AI features, emphasizing ethical AI and privacy-first data protection. It's crucial to understand the practical implications, especially concerning third-party data processing and the level of user control.
When you use HubSpot's AI features, sensitive data like CRM records or emails are sent to external providers, such as OpenAI, for processing. HubSpot states these partners have zero-retention policies and do not use your data for training their public models, but this adds an extra layer of complexity to your data's journey and overall HubSpot AI security posture.
Yes, a key risk related to HubSpot AI security is that your data's safety becomes dependent on the security practices of HubSpot’s chosen third-party AI providers. You don't have a say in which models or partners are used, meaning you're trusting HubSpot's entire supply chain, which can be a concern for regulatory compliance and data governance.
With HubSpot AI security, users often experience a "black box" approach, offering limited fine-grained control over AI workflows. You cannot easily scope the AI's knowledge to specific topics or create custom actions beyond the built-in features, which might lead teams to seek less secure "shadow AI" alternatives.
Yes, relying heavily on HubSpot AI security can contribute to vendor lock-in, as the AI features are deeply integrated into the platform. If your business needs change and you decide to switch CRM or help desk platforms, your entire AI setup and learned knowledge will be left behind, requiring a costly "rip and replace" scenario.
The blog suggests there's no safe, built-in way to extensively test HubSpot AI security features on your own data before going live with customers. You typically activate the features and observe their performance in a live environment, which can be a significant gamble for customer experience and compliance.
