cogloom · Free lesson
The big idea: Treat an AI chat like a postcard, not a diary. Unless you change a setting, what you type may be used to improve the AI, and sometimes a person may read it.
What the companies themselves say: - Google Gemini: "Human reviewers (including trained reviewers from our service providers) review some of the data we collect… Please don't enter confidential information that you wouldn't want a reviewer to see." Google keeps chats that reviewers have looked at for up to three years, even if you delete your activity. - ChatGPT: your chats can help train OpenAI's models unless you turn off a setting called Improve the model for everyone. Turning it off stops your new chats from being used for training. Your old chats stay in your history.
Never type these into any chatbot: passwords, Social Security numbers, bank or card numbers, or medical records with your name on them. Also leave out anyone else's private details.
Change the setting (2 minutes): - ChatGPT on a computer: open your account menu → Settings → Data controls → Improve the model for everyone → turn it off → Done. - ChatGPT on a phone: open the sidebar → tap your profile icon → Data controls → turn off Improve the model for everyone. - Gemini: go to Gemini Apps Activity and turn off Keep Activity. Google says your future chats then won't be used to train its AI models, unless you send feedback, and they are still kept for 72 hours.
Good to know: - Both apps offer a Temporary Chat. On ChatGPT, temporary chats aren't used for training but may be kept for up to 30 days for safety. On Gemini, they aren't used to train its models and are kept for 72 hours. - Pressing thumbs-up or thumbs-down sends feedback, and that conversation may then be used, even if you turned training off. Both companies say so. - A work or school account may have different rules set by your employer.
Do this now: open the app you use most and flip that one setting.
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