As ChatGPT increasingly becomes a go-to source for emotional support, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has raised the alarm about a major gap in legal privacy protections, Business Insider reports. Speaking on a podcast with Theo Von, Altman stressed that conversations with the AI chatbot do not carry the same legal confidentiality as discussions with licensed professionals such as doctors, therapists or lawyers.
Privacy Concerns as AI Becomes Emotional Outlet
Altman pointed out that users often disclose highly personal and sensitive information to ChatGPT, treating it as a surrogate therapist or life coach. However, unlike traditional therapy sessions, these exchanges are not shielded by laws such as doctor-patient confidentiality or legal privilege.
«If you go talk to ChatGPT about your most sensitive stuff and then there’s like a lawsuit or whatever, we could be required to produce that,» Altman explained. «That’s very screwed up.»
He called for urgent legislative attention to ensure AI-based conversations are treated with the same level of privacy users expect from real-world professionals. «We haven’t figured that out yet,» he admitted, «but we need to.»
Legal Framework Yet to Catch Up
The rise in AI-based support, particularly among younger users seeking relationship guidance or mental health advice, has created new legal and ethical dilemmas. «No one had to think about that even a year ago,» Altman said. «And now I think it’s this huge issue.»
By contrast, encrypted services like WhatsApp or Signal offer stronger protections for personal communication. ChatGPT interactions, however, remain accessible to OpenAI’s internal teams for purposes like model improvement or misuse detection.
Data May Still Be Retained
According to OpenAI’s data retention policy, chats on ChatGPT Free, Plus and Pro are deleted permanently within 30 days of being removed by the user, unless legal or security obligations require the data to be retained longer. This caveat leaves open the possibility that some information could still be accessed or produced under specific circumstances.
Kursiv earlier reported that in December 2024, ChatGPT ranked fourth among the most visited websites in Uzbekistan.
