Privacy Policy

[INSERT: solicitor review] — this policy is drafted to reflect UK GDPR principles in plain language and covers the processors actually used by this site, but it has not yet been reviewed by a qualified solicitor. Please have it checked before this page is relied on publicly, particularly the sections covering data processed by AI systems built for clients.

Who we are

Quantum AI Business Consultants (aibusinessconsultants.co.uk) is a Belfast-based consultancy that designs and builds AI systems for independent trades and service businesses. For the purposes of UK data protection law, Quantum AI Business Consultantsis the data controller for personal data collected through this website. This policy covers both our own website and, in general terms, the kind of data our client systems process on our clients' behalf — client-specific data handling is documented separately for each engagement, since it depends on the system being built.

What we collect and why

We collect the following categories of personal data through this website:

• Contact and enquiry data — name, email address, business name, and the content of your message, submitted through our enquiry form, discovery call booking, or by emailing us directly. We collect this to respond to your enquiry and, if you proceed, to scope and deliver a project.
• AI chat conversation data — messages you send to the AI receptionist widget on this site, including any contact details you choose to share with it. We collect this to answer your questions and, where you ask to be contacted, to pass your enquiry to our team.
• Analytics data — pages visited, approximate location (derived from IP address, not precise), device and browser type, and general usage patterns, collected via Google Analytics only where you have consented to non-essential cookies.

Our lawful basis for processing

We rely on the following lawful bases under UK GDPR, depending on the activity: legitimate interests to respond to enquiries and operate this website (weighed against your rights and freedoms, and not used where they would be overridden); consent for non-essential analytics cookies, which you can withdraw at any time; and contract where processing is necessary to take steps toward, or perform, an agreement with you as a client.

Third-party processors

We use a small number of third-party services to operate this website and its enquiry and chat systems. Each acts as a data processor on our behalf and only processes personal data in line with our instructions and their own data protection terms:

• Anthropic(anthropic.com) — powers the AI receptionist chat widget. Messages sent to the widget are processed to generate a response, in line with Anthropic's standard commercial data handling terms, and are not used to train Anthropic's models.
• Resend (resend.com) — delivers enquiry form submissions and AI-captured leads to our team by email.
• Vercel (vercel.com) — hosts this website and processes standard web server logs (IP address, request metadata) as part of hosting infrastructure.
• Google Analytics(google.com) — provides anonymised usage analytics, only loaded where you've consented to non-essential cookies.

How AI processes enquiry data

Our website's AI chat assistant is built on Anthropic's Claude models. Messages you send to it are processed to generate a response and are not used to train third-party models beyond the provider's standard commercial data handling terms. Where you share contact details with the assistant so we can follow up, that information is treated the same as an enquiry submitted through our contact form, and is emailed directly to our team rather than stored in a separate system.

For client projects, the specifics of what data an AI system processes, where it's stored, and who can access it are agreed individually during scoping and documented for each client — because the answer genuinely depends on the system being built, the sector, and whether any special category data (such as health information, in a clinic setting) is involved.

International data transfers

Some of the processors listed above may process data outside the UK and European Economic Area, including in the United States. Where this happens, we rely on those providers' standard contractual clauses or equivalent safeguards recognised under UK GDPR as providing an adequate level of protection.

Data retention

We retain enquiry and contact data for as long as reasonably necessary to respond to you and, if you become a client, to maintain business and accounting records — generally no longer than seven years after the end of a client relationship, in line with standard UK accounting and tax obligations. Where you contact us but do not proceed to a client relationship, we retain your enquiry only as long as reasonably needed to respond to you and for a limited period afterwards in case you get back in touch, after which it is deleted. [INSERT: confirm exact retention periods once finalised].

Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Request access to the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate personal data
• Request deletion of your personal data, in certain circumstances
• Object to or request restriction of certain processing
• Request a portable copy of data you've provided to us
• Withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at jd@aibusinessconsultants.co.uk. We'll respond within one month, as required by law. If you're unhappy with how we've handled your data, you also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

Children's data

This website and our services are directed at business owners and are not intended for use by children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

Cookies

We use essential cookies required for the site to function (for example, remembering your cookie consent choice), and — only with your consent — analytics cookies via Google Analytics to understand how the site is used. No advertising or tracking cookies unrelated to analytics are used. You can withdraw consent at any time by clearing your browser's cookies for this site.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time, for example if we change the third-party services we use. The "last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be reflected here directly rather than communicated individually.

Contact

Questions about this policy or how your data is handled: email jd@aibusinessconsultants.co.uk. We're based in Belfast, Northern Ireland.