Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has warned that people often share confidential, deeply emotional problems with ChatGPT — without realizing their conversations aren’t protected by any laws. He raised the issue in a podcast interview, saying this gap in privacy could pose serious risks.
“In therapy or legal conversations, there’s confidentiality,” Altman said. “But that doesn’t yet exist with AI.” He argued that there should be legal protection for users who rely on AI as a source of guidance or support.
The concern is timely, as OpenAI faces a legal challenge over data retention in a lawsuit with The New York Times. If the court order stands, the company would need to store user chats — a precedent that could lead to broader legal exposure.
Altman said OpenAI is appealing the decision and called the current lack of AI-specific privacy protections “very screwed up.”
