Can You Upload a Script Under NDA to an AI Tool?

Potentially, yes - but there are a few things you need to check first.

AI tools can be incredibly useful in production. They can help summarise scripts, check continuity, create breakdowns, review structure and support development. But once a script is under NDA, it becomes less about what the tool can do and more about whether you are actually allowed to share that material with it.

An NDA does not automatically mean a script can never be used with AI. It does mean you need to be careful about where that script is going, who can access it and what happens to the information once it has been uploaded.

Start with the NDA

Read the confidentiality wording properly. Some agreements restrict confidential material from being shared with third parties or external services. Depending on the wording, an AI provider could fall into that category, even if you are only using the tool for internal work.

If the agreement is unclear, that is usually the point to stop and get approval before uploading anything.

Check what happens to your data

This is where people can get caught out, because not all AI tools treat your information in the same way.

Before uploading a confidential script, check:

• whether your prompts or files are used to train the model

• how long the data is retained

• whether the provider or its subcontractors can access it

• whether there is a business or enterprise version with stronger protections

• whether the material can be deleted

• where the data is being processed or stored

A free consumer version of a tool may operate very differently from its business or enterprise version, so it is worth checking the actual terms of the account you are using.

Do you really need to upload the whole script?

Sometimes, no. If you only need help with one part of the script, you may be able to use an individual scene, an anonymised extract, a summary, or material with names and identifying details removed. The less confidential material you share, the less exposure you create.

Check the production’s own AI policy

This part is just as important as checking the AI tool itself.

Production companies, broadcasters, studios and streamers are increasingly setting their own rules around AI. A tool may look perfectly fine from a data or security perspective, but the production may still require approval before it is used.So the decision should never be based on the tool alone.

For productions, this is exactly why having a clear AI policy, approved tools process and record of AI use matters. AI can be genuinely useful across production workflows, but convenience should never come before confidentiality.

Alté Films helps productions assess AI tools, confidentiality risks and internal approval processes before sensitive material is shared.

This article is for general information only and is not legal advice.