# AI privacy and external-processing policy

Updated: 2026-08-09

The default execution mode is local-only. External processing of `/cv/*` payloads requires all of:

1. `Ai:ExternalProcessingEnabled=true` on the backend;
2. `EXTERNAL_AI_ENABLED=true` on the AI sidecar;
3. a configured external `Ai:ExternalProvider` / `AI_PROVIDER` (`gemini` or `groq`);
4. a current Pro/Admin entitlement resolved from the database;
5. AI enabled in the user's server-side settings; and
6. the user's explicit `ExternalAiProcessingAllowed` opt-in.

The backend adds `X-Ai-External-Allowed: true` only after that live policy check. Durable workers use the same header only from their admitted policy snapshot after a live execution-time recheck, and also send the bounded task type. The sidecar otherwise routes `/cv/*` to Ollama even when an external provider is configured. `/summarize` always uses the local summarization model. Provider keys remain server-side and are never returned by the settings API.

`GET/PUT /api/ai/settings` owns the user settings. Disabling AI takes effect on the next protected request and is also rechecked by the current enrichment and queued-CV workers. Existing users migrate with AI enabled to preserve current behaviour; external consent always defaults to false.

AI-002 makes provider execution local-first and sequential. External fallback additionally requires an allowed task and stays below the configured per-request prompt ceiling. Actual provider/model/route metadata is returned by the sidecar and persisted by AI Workspace or durable operations. The process-local circuit and health diagnostics expose no prompt or credential data.

This is not permission to enable external processing globally. New durable task types remain local until explicitly allowlisted; AI-003/004 must minimize their exact payloads and complete cross-feature monthly accounting before rollout. `EXTERNAL_AI_ENABLED=false` or `Ai:RoutingMode=local_only` is the immediate rollback switch.
