ChatGPT is not a therapist – your personal data is at risk!

Altman warns: Don’t trust ChatGPT with personal issues — no legal privacy

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has warned users not to over-trust AI assistants, especially when it comes to deeply personal information. He emphasized that there are no legal privacy guarantees when chatting with ChatGPT.

Many people now use AI tools for day-to-day advice, including medical, emotional, or professional matters. While using ChatGPT may seem harmless, conversations are not protected by legal frameworks like therapist-patient or attorney-client privilege.

Speaking on the matter, Altman said:

“People share the most personal details of their lives with ChatGPT. Especially young people treat it like a therapist or life coach. They ask things like, ‘I have relationship problems, what should I do?’ But if you told this to a therapist, your privacy would be protected by law. That’s not the case with ChatGPT.”

Altman added that legal systems are not evolving fast enough to catch up with AI, and there’s a real need for privacy protection regulations. For instance, if a person is involved in a legal case, OpenAI has no legal obligation to withhold their conversations from court.

In short:

Altman urges users to be cautious when sharing private information with AI tools, since there is currently no legal privacy in place.