Thinking Of ChatGPT As Your Therapist? Sam Altman Warns Your Secrets Might Not Be Legally Protected

ChatGPT has several use cases; one of the most useful of them is turning the AI bot into your personal therapist! If you’ve ever turned to ChatGPT for emotional support or relationship advice, you’re not alone! Many users, especially younger ones, are using the chatbot like a therapist or life coach. But according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, it might not be as private as you’d expect! Also Read: OpenAI Confirms Adult-Only ChatGPT With Custom Personalities And Erotic Conversations

Speaking on a recent episode of This Past Weekend with Theo Von, Altman shared some serious concerns around privacy and the lack of legal protection when pouring your heart out to ChatGPT, especially in private matters. Also Read: Forget ChatGPT And Gemini Nano Banana! Microsoft Launches MAI-Image-1 - The In House Text-To-Image Tool

“People talk about the most personal sh** in their lives to ChatGPT,” Altman said during the podcast. “People use it — young people, especially, use it — as a therapist, a life coach; having these relationship problems and [asking] ‘what should I do?’” Also Read: UPI Meets ChatGPT: India Tests AI-Powered E-Commerce Payments Via OpenAI Partnership

What’s The Issue?

The issue is that these types of conversations don’t enjoy the same legal protections you’d have with a real therapist, doctor, or lawyer. “Right now, if you talk to a therapist or a lawyer or a doctor about those problems, there’s legal privilege for it,” Altman explained. “And we haven’t figured that out yet for when you talk to ChatGPT.”

This means that if any ChatGPT user’s chat history ever became part of a legal case, OpenAI could be legally required to hand it over. That means, OpenAI will be bound to share your most sensitive information if there is a lawsuit or a court orders it to produce it.

Altman believes this is something that needs to be “addressed with some urgency.” The shift in how people use AI, especially for personal and emotional support, has happened fast.  Unlike encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp or Signal, conversations on ChatGPT can be accessed by OpenAI staff for moderation or training.

Should You Share Deep Secrets With AI?

He further confirmed that deleted chats on Free, Plus, and Pro plans are wiped in 30 days, unless legal or security reasons require otherwise. But still, caution is better! Altman summed it up best: “I think it makes sense … to really want the privacy clarity before you use [ChatGPT] a lot — like the legal clarity.” In short, until the laws catch up, you might want to think twice before treating ChatGPT like your therapist.