A developer must always use paid API keys for AI models. The paid keys are in the root `.env` file. Never use free-tier keys by mistake.
By Pawan Nayar · from the LLOS AI Learning record
A developer must always use paid API keys for AI models.
The paid keys are in the root `.env` file. Never use free-tier keys by mistake.
A developer must always read the root `.env` file first. This file contains the paid API keys. If a paid key is not found, the program must stop. It should never use a free key instead. Free keys can expose private information. They also have lower limits on how many times an AI model can be used.
A developer creates a new script that uses an AI model. The developer's script looks for `GOOGLE_API_KEY` in a local `.env` file. This file has a free key. The script should have looked for `GEMINI_API_KEY_PAID` in the main project's `.env` file. Using the wrong key makes the AI model train on the user's private data. This also causes errors because the free key has strict usage limits.
Resolved from this lesson's own record — real definitions, not invented for this page.
More from the same record, pulled by shared topic — not written new for this page.
API keys, like those for OpenAI or Google, must be kept in one file. This file is typically named `.env`.
API keys are sensitive information. They should be kept secret.
A developer must never use a free-tier Google API key. Free tiers can use user data for training.
A developer must not put private rules in the main text of an AI prompt. These rules are called proprietary constraints.
A developer must always use paid API keys for AI models. The paid keys are in the root `.env` file. Never use free-tier keys by mistake.