What is Human-Generated Data and Why is it Important?

Key points

• Human-generated data remains critical for effective, real-world decision-making in organisations.

• Storing human-generated data comes with unique security challenges, especially in the AI age.

• The rise of AI-generated content complicates data security and integrity.

• Metomic offers effective data security solutions that protect and secure valuable human-generated data.

In an age dominated by artificial intelligence, it’s easy to assume that AI-generated data is the future. But human-generated data remains crucial to how businesses operate.

Despite AI’s capabilities, nothing can replace the nuances and insights that come from human experiences, decisions, and behaviours.

Human-generated data drives everything from customer interactions to internal processes, making it foundational to daily business operations. Its value isn’t just in volume but in the authenticity and context that only humans can provide. This data is vital for accurate decision-making, trust, and operational integrity.

As AI continues to permeate businesses, securing this valuable data becomes an increasingly complex challenge. Organisations must be proactive in managing and protecting human-generated data, ensuring it remains both secure and useful. In this article, we’ll explore how organisations can safeguard this data while maintaining its effectiveness in an AI-driven world.

What is human-generated data?

Each day, a staggering 328.77 million terabytes of data are created. And out of that vast amount of data, it’s the data produced by people—whether it’s a customer’s online purchase, an employee’s email, or feedback after a service call—that’s so valuable.

In business, this type of data shows up in various forms, including:

• Customer interactions: Emails, chats, and social media posts offer insights into what customers want, how they feel, and where your service can improve.

• Employee activity: Emails, meeting notes, and task updates provide a snapshot of daily operations, productivity, and collaboration within the team.

• Transactional data: Purchases, browsing patterns, and feedback reveal trends that inform marketing, sales, and customer service strategies.

• Survey and feedback responses: These direct insights from your customers or employees are often the most valuable, showing what’s working and where you need to change.

Human-generated data offers context and nuance—things AI can’t replicate on its own. And this data shapes the decisions organisations make every day, keeping them in tune with their customers, their teams, and their operations.

What is its purpose? How can it help organisations?

Human-generated data offers insights that AI and automated systems alone simply can’t capture. It tells you what your customers are thinking, how your employees are performing, and where your business can improve.

Take customer behaviour, for example. Data from purchases, website clicks, and customer feedback allows you to understand your audience on a deeper level.

• What do they like?

• What’s missing from your offerings?

• Are there patterns in their behaviour that you can capitalise on?

Armed with this knowledge, you can refine your marketing, improve your product development, and create personalised customer experiences that build loyalty.

Employee productivity is another area where human-generated data plays a key role. Emails, meeting notes, and task updates— all of this can track performance and collaboration.

The data can reveal where bottlenecks occur, where teams perform best, and where improvements are needed. It’s not just about tracking performance for performance’s sake; it’s about creating an environment where your employees thrive.

Beyond day-to-day operations, human-generated data is what informs big decisions. It gives leadership teams the insights they need to pivot, innovate, and set new directions for the business. It helps shape organisational strategy, from customer service enhancements to product launches.

A great example of how human-generated data drives success can be seen in companies like Reddit. Built on user-generated content, the platform is driven by the very data created by its millions of users, and it was recently valued at over $10 billion.

The value comes from its ability to harness the data its users generate, using it to tailor the platform, increase engagement, and ultimately, grow its business.

Simply put, human-generated data isn’t just useful; it’s essential. Without it, organisations would be left guessing, unable to make informed decisions.

The challenge, then, is ensuring that this data is handled and protected in a way that maximises its value without exposing the business to unnecessary risks.

Why is human-generated data still so important? How is AI impacting human-generated data?

Even with AI becoming a bigger part of our everyday business processes, human-generated data still plays a key role. It’s easy to think that as AI improves, it might replace the need for human input altogether.

But that’s not the case—human insight is still essential for keeping data accurate and relevant.

For example, AI can process and analyse large amounts of data, but it can’t truly get the nuance behind things like cultural differences, emotional tone, or subtle context. So, while it might be great at generating responses based on past data, it might miss the mark on understanding the tone or intent behind a customer’s behaviour, which could lead to errors or miscommunication.

And here’s where it gets tricky: AI actually depends on human-generated data to train and get better. When AI starts learning from other AI-generated data, it leads to something called ‘model collapse,’ where small mistakes in earlier AI outputs get amplified as the model keeps training on its own flawed data.

This results in what experts call ‘hallucinations’— when AI starts generating inaccurate or nonsensical results. Ilia Shumailov et al studied this issue in ArXiv back in May 2023, with a follow-up in Nature in July 2024, and Emily Wenger from Duke University found similar patterns in her own research.

Human-generated data is still crucial, even as AI evolves. AI might be able to help us process data faster and at a larger scale, but it needs human input to keep things grounded and accurate. Without that foundation, AI’s ability to generate useful, reliable results starts to break down.

Where is human-generated data usually stored? What are the risks of this?

Most of our human-generated data ends up in a few familiar spots: cloud platforms, on-premises servers, and SaaS apps. Each option brings convenience and flexibility, but they all come with security trade-offs.

Cloud platforms are handy because they let teams access data from anywhere, but they also rely on external security. If those defences aren’t solid, sensitive information is at risk. On-premises servers, on the other hand, offer more control but demand regular updates and maintenance to stay secure. If the security on these servers falls behind, they’re just as vulnerable to threats.

SaaS apps are popular for collaboration, making it easy to share data, but they introduce another challenge: Each connected app can be a potential entry point for hackers. One poorly-secured app could expose a lot more than expected.

And the cost of a data breach? It’s no small figure— $4.88 million on average. That’s not just an expensive problem; it’s a reminder of why securing data should be front and centre.

What are the potential implications?

The fallout from a data breach isn’t just a matter of tech cleanup; it hits organisations where it hurts—financially and reputationally.

When human-generated data is compromised, customers lose trust, which can take years to rebuild, if it’s possible at all (and in fact, 66% of consumers say they wouldn’t trust a company after a data breach).

The financial costs are equally brutal, covering everything from regulatory fines to recovery efforts. Mishandling this data is no small mistake; compliance regulations like GDPR have serious teeth. And regulators aren’t shy about enforcing these rules. Meta’s recent €1.2 billion fine for breaching GDPRis a clear example of what happens when companies don’t get it right.

Beyond the hit to the company wallet, fines like these are a reminder to the whole industry: prioritising data security is a must, not an option.

How can organisations mitigate these?

Protecting human-generated data takes a proactive approach that balances security with practicality. Organisations need comprehensive defence, but can’t afford to hinder legitimate access. Here are some best practices that help keep data safe while ensuring it’s usable:

• Encryption: This is non-negotiable. Encrypting data, both at rest and in transit, makes it significantly harder for unauthorised parties to read sensitive information, even if they somehow gain access.

• Regular audits: Conducting frequent audits helps organisations catch vulnerabilities before they become full-blown issues. Audits also ensure that security measures evolve as new risks emerge.

• Access controls: Not everyone needs access to everything; implementing strict access controls and reviewing them regularly is essential. This includes using multi-factor authentication and setting role-based permissions to keep access limited to only those who genuinely need it.

Balancing these security steps with usability is key. Employees need to work efficiently without jumping through endless hoops. Thoughtfully designed security policies empower staff to do their jobs while keeping the organisation’s data secure.

In the end, even the strongest defences depend on people. Human-generated data brings unique risks, as simple errors like accidental sharing can lead to breaches.

Metomic’s Human Firewall approach empowers employees to actively protect data through guidance including employee notifications, fostering a security conscious culture that strengthens data protection across your organisation.

🔒How can Metomic help organisations protect human-generated data?

Metomic provides focused solutions to secure human-generated data—the critical insights that AI alone can’t replicate. Here’s how:

• Data classification and discovery: Metomic’s automated classification pinpoints sensitive data across platforms, giving you full visibility into where critical information is stored and shared.

• Risk assessment and prioritisation: Metomic’s risk scoring helps organisations identify and address key vulnerabilities, allowing teams to focus on what truly matters.

• Compliance support: With built-in support for regulations like GDPRand HIPAA, Metomic automates access controls and offers visibility into sensitive data, simplifying compliance efforts.

• Employee empowerment: Beyond technical tools, Metomic fosters a “human firewall” by educating employees on data security. This enables active participation in protecting data through actions like redacting sensitive information and managing data retention.

In essence, Metomic’s solutions protect human-generated data without sacrificing functionality, bridging the gap between strict security and daily operational needs.

Getting started with Metomic

Getting started with Metomic is straightforward, and it can make a real difference in protecting your organisation’s human-generated data. Here’s how you can begin:

• Free data risk assessment: Start with a free risk assessment to identify potential vulnerabilities in how your organisation handles human-generated data. Metomic will help you uncover gaps and pinpoint areas for improvement.

• Book a personalised demo: Interested in seeing Metomic in action? Schedule a personalised demo to explore features like automated data classification, real-time monitoring, and custom alerts that can safeguard your team’s human-generated information.

• Connect with us: Have specific questions or want to discuss your data security goals? Contact our teamto learn more about how Metomic can help protect the valuable human-generated data your organisation relies on every day.

With Metomic, protecting human-generated data is simple, proactive, and customised to fit your needs.