Trusting ChatGPT with your personal problems? Sam Altman says you should think twice

Sam Altman

Many people turn to ChatGPT for help navigating life, whether it’s asking for relationship advice, emotional support, or simply venting about their problems. But OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has a clear message: be careful what you share.

In a recent podcast conversation with comedian Theo Von, Altman said users, especially young people, often talk to ChatGPT like it’s a therapist or life coach. But unlike real professionals, AI does not offer any legal confidentiality.

“People talk about the most personal sh** in their lives to ChatGPT,” Altman said. “Right now, if you talk to a therapist or a doctor, that’s protected by law. But with ChatGPT, we haven’t figured that out yet.”

That is a serious issue, especially when it comes to lawsuits. If a court asks for those chat records, OpenAI could be legally required to provide them. In other words, the emotional conversations users think are private may not be protected at all.

“I think that’s very screwed up,” Altman said. “We should have the same concept of privacy for your conversations with AI that we do with a therapist.”

He also admitted that this legal uncertainty could stop people from using ChatGPT for sensitive topics. Privacy is a big reason why some, including Von himself, are cautious about using the chatbot regularly.

OpenAI is already under pressure in this area. The company is appealing a court order in its legal fight with The New York Times. That order could force it to store and share user chat data, possibly affecting millions of people around the world. ChatGPT Enterprise customers are excluded from this.

Altman pointed out that tech companies are often asked to share user data for legal or criminal investigations. He also mentioned how users became more privacy-conscious after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, with many switching to encrypted health tracking apps.

The message is clear. Until stronger laws are in place, it might be smart to think carefully before sharing personal information with an AI, no matter how helpful it seems.