ChatGPT May Soon Get Temporary Encrypted Chats for Better Privacy

OpenAI’s ChatGPT has been making constant headlines, from the launch of GPT-5 to changes in how the AI interacts with users. Now, the company is reportedly working on a major privacy upgrade called temporary chats that are encrypted. If implemented, this feature could give users more confidence that their conversations are protected.

Currently, OpenAI stores chat records for up to 30 days even after deletion, though users cannot recover them. This practice has raised privacy concerns, especially as OpenAI faces lawsuits such as the one filed by The New York Times.

The lawsuit demands access to deleted chat logs to investigate potential copyright violations. For regular users, that creates fears about how much of their personal conversations may remain accessible.

Adding encryption to temporary chats would address some of these concerns. Encrypted sessions would make it harder for outside parties to view or demand access to sensitive conversations, giving users more control over their data.

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Legal Pressures and Industry Context

The lawsuit against OpenAI highlights broader issues with how AI models are trained and whether copyrighted content is being misused. While OpenAI has denied wrongdoing, pressure from ongoing cases has forced the company to rethink how it handles user data. Encrypted chats could serve as a middle ground, protecting users without compromising ongoing legal disputes.

Other companies are also moving in the same direction. Proton, a privacy-focused company, recently launched its own AI chatbot, Lumo, with full end-to-end encryption. If OpenAI adopts a similar approach, ChatGPT would join this growing push for secure AI communication.

While encryption for temporary chats may not solve every privacy or copyright issue, it would be a step forward in building user trust. The real challenge lies in addressing how AI models are trained on external data, but protecting chat records is an immediate and necessary fix. For millions who rely on ChatGPT daily, knowing their temporary conversations are safe could make a significant difference.