AI and privacy: ChatGPT conversations found on Google

DW (English)

Some ChatGPT chats ended up in Google search results— exposing personal information. Find out how it happened, how to check if you're affected, and what it means for the future of AI and privacy.

Transcript

00:00Imagine you're asking ChatGPT for help with something deeply personal.

00:04Now, picture that exact conversation showing up in a Google search.

00:08That's exactly what happened.

00:10Some ChatGPT conversations were publicly visible online.

00:14In a few cases, users could even be identified,

00:17based on personal details they included in the chat.

00:20So, how do you know if this affects you?

00:22And more importantly, how can you use AI chatbot safely?

00:26But first, how could that even happen?

00:28OpenAI ran an experiment to make shared chats easier to find,

00:33even through search engines like Google.

00:35That's what an OpenAI spokesperson said.

00:38Here's the catch.

00:39Users didn't realize that when they clicked share and created a link,

00:43that link could be indexed by Google.

00:45That means anyone could stumble upon it, even if the chat was about something private.

00:50In most cases, the person who shared the chat stayed anonymous, but not always.

00:55Some chats included personal details like a LinkedIn profile,

00:59making it easier to identify the user.

01:02Depending on what was shared, this could have severe consequences.

01:06Embarrassment, reputational damage or even cybercrime.

01:09Scammers could use personal details to target individuals.

01:13OpenAI has now disabled the feature.

01:16New chats will no longer be indexed by search engines.

01:20But already shared links still exist and they don't vanish from search engines overnight.

01:24How can you find out if you have been affected?

01:27Here's what to do.

01:28Check if you have any shared chats.

01:30Look for links you created.

01:32Then Google your chat titles to see if they show up in the search results.

01:35Delete shared links if you don't need them.

01:38And in case you find one of your chats has been indexed, use Google's removal tool.

01:43In general, consider the following tips to use AI chatbots safely.

01:46Don't share your personal details.

01:48Never put in your full name, address, password or financial details.

01:52Be careful with file uploads.

01:54Only share files that don't contain sensitive data.

01:57Clear your chat history regularly.

02:00If the platform allows it, delete old conversations.

02:03And even if it feels like too long didn't read, check the privacy guidelines of the tools you use.

02:09Know how your data is stored and whether it's used to train AI models.

02:13If so, you might want to opt out or not use the tool at all.

02:17Because the chat GPT incident most likely won't be just a one-off.

02:21It's a glimpse of what's coming.

02:23OpenAI's experiment is part of a much bigger shift.

02:27AI is changing how we interact with the Internet.

02:30Whether we like it or not, more and more online content is now created partly or entirely by AI.

02:36Millions use AI chatbots as a search tool.

02:39Google shows AI-generated summaries instead of linking to original sources.

02:43That means fewer people click through to the actual website.

02:47This is changing the way we navigate the Internet in a fast way.

02:51One tiny example.

02:52Those who publish written content online need to write in a particular way so that AI will pick it up and feature it.

03:00So, how do we deal with this?

03:02Can we protect ourselves from the bad consequences of the AI revolution?

03:06Globally, we're seeing two very different strategies.

03:09In the US, Donald Trump's government is giving AI developers free reign.

03:14The idea is that regulation stifles innovation and that the market will push companies to self-regulate.

03:20In the EU, the focus is on protecting users, preventing buyers and ensuring the accountability of tech companies.

03:27The new AI Act sets clear rules for developers and aims to ban high-risk practices.

03:33What do you think?

03:34Should AI be more tightly regulated or should innovation come first?

03:38First

03:39First

03:46First

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