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Here’s why you should be careful what you share with ChatGPT
More than 100 million people worldwide use ChatGPT, but not without risk to their personal data.
Be careful not to provide ChatGPT with too much personal information.Photography OLIVIER DOULIERY / AFP©
ChatGPT collects various types of information as soon as you log in to the service. First of all, it collects account information such as your name, contact details and bank details.
But ChatGPT also accesses more technical data – your IP address, browser and location. And it collects everything you type, i.e. all your prompts.
ChatGPT usage
This is why you should be careful when using this generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool, and avoid using personal information when entering requests.
In absolute terms, OpenAI, the publisher of ChatGPT, may process this information in order to “feed” and develop its service, as well as provide it to third parties, service providers and other affiliated companies.
A Cautionary note
Consequently, users should avoid sharing with ChatGPT any personal information, life stories, anecdotes or, more broadly, any personal information that could identify themselves or someone else.
Similarly, don’t submit personal or strictly private documents such as employment contracts, invoices or medical results to ChatGPT.
In this matter, ChatGPT seeks to reassure users, stating that the chatbot does not collect or store any personally identifiable data that you provide when using the model.
In fact, OpenAI says that it has been designed to respect user confidentiality.
The chatbot creators go on to explain that interactions with ChatGPT are used to improve the model, but they are anonymised and removed of any personally identifiable information.
Nevertheless, users would still be wise to exercise caution.
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