5 Types of Information You Should Never Share with AI Chatbots

What is AI Chatbot?

AI Chatbot (Artificial Intelligence Chatbot) is a computer program that uses AI to communicate with humans through text or voice. The main goal of AI chatbot is to simulate natural conversation, assisting users in performing tasks or answering questions automatically and quickly.

Today, AI chatbots are able to understand and respond to questions or requests in natural language, much like how humans communicate. Many AI chatbots use machine learning algorithms to improve their performance and understanding over time.

In fact, AI chatbots can be integrated into many fields, from customer care, education, healthcare to e-commerce or entertainment. AI chatbots not only save time but also improve user experience, but their use must be considered to ensure security and privacy.

The privacy risks of AI chatbots

AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini are gaining popularity due to their ability to generate natural, human-like responses. However, relying on large language models (LLMs) also poses privacy and security risks.

These vulnerabilities highlight the importance of managing personal information, as any data shared during an interaction is at risk of misuse or unintended disclosure.

Data collection practice:AI chatbots are built on massive data sets, which may include user interactions. While companies like OpenAI offer users the option to opt out of data collection, ensuring absolute privacy remains a challenge.

Server vulnerability:User data stored on servers can become targets of cyber attacks. Cybercriminals can exploit these vulnerabilities to steal information and use it for illegal purposes, causing serious security and privacy consequences.

Third Party Access:Data from interactions with chatbots may be shared with third-party service providers or accessed by authorized personnel, increasing the risk of information leaks and privacy violations.

Concerns about artificial AI:Critics warn that the rise of generative AI applications could significantly increase security and privacy risks, making the issue more serious than ever.

To protect your personal data when using ChatGPT and other AI chatbots, it is important to understand the privacy risks associated with using these platforms. While companies like OpenAI have provided a certain level of transparency and control, the complexity of data sharing and potential privacy risks require users to remain cautious and vigilant.

To ensure your privacy and security, there are 5 important types of information that you should never share with AI chatbots.

1. Financial information

With the growing popularity of AI chatbots, many users have started using these language models to get financial advice and manage their personal finances. While they can help improve financial literacy, it is important to be aware of the potential risks of sharing financial information with AI chatbots.

When you use AI chatbots as financial advisors, you may inadvertently expose your personal financial information to potential cybercriminals who could use this data to siphon money from your accounts. While companies promise to keep chat data secure and anonymous, third parties and some employees may still have access to this information.

For example, AI chatbots can analyze your spending habits to provide financial advice, but if this data falls into the wrong hands, it can be used to create scams, like fake emails from your bank.

To protect your personal financial information, limit interactions with AI chatbots to general questions and basic information. Sharing account details, transaction history, or passwords can make you a target for attacks. If you need personalized financial advice, a licensed and reputable financial advisor is a safer and more trustworthy choice.

2. Private thoughts and personal information

Many users are now turning to AI chatbots as a means of seeking therapy, unaware of the potential consequences for their mental health. Therefore, it is important to understand the risks of sharing personal and private information with these chatbots.

AI chatbots lack factual knowledge and can only provide generic answers to mental health questions. This means that the treatments or medications they suggest may not be suitable for your individual needs, or may even be harmful to your health.

Furthermore, sharing personal thoughts with AI chatbots raises serious privacy concerns. Your secrets and private thoughts could be compromised, leaked online, or used as training data for AI.

Malicious individuals could use this information to track you or sell your data on the dark web, so it’s important to protect the privacy of your personal thoughts when interacting with AI chatbots.

AI chatbots should be viewed as tools to provide basic information and support, not as a replacement for professional therapy. If you need mental health advice or treatment, seek out qualified mental health professionals who can provide personalized, trustworthy guidance while always protecting your privacy and well-being.

3. Important information related to the job

Another mistake users should avoid when interacting with AI chatbots is sharing sensitive work-related information. Tech giants like Apple, Samsung, and Google have banned employees from using AI chatbots in the workplace to protect the security and privacy of corporate information.

A report from Bloomberg pointed out an instance where a Samsung employee used ChatGPT to solve encryption problems and accidentally uploaded sensitive code to the generative AI platform.

This incident led to the exposure of Samsung's confidential information, forcing the company to ban the use of AI chatbots in the workplace. If you use AI to handle coding issues or any other sensitive work, be careful and never share confidential information with AI chatbots.

Similarly, many employees use AI chatbots to summarize meeting minutes or automate repetitive tasks, which can potentially expose sensitive information. To protect your important data and prevent data leaks or breaches, you need to be aware of the risks of sharing work-related information and take appropriate safeguards.

4. Password information

Sharing passwords online, even with large language models, is an absolute no-no. The data from these models is often stored on servers, and revealing your passwords can pose a serious threat to your privacy and information security.

In May 2022, a major data breach involving ChatGPT occurred, raising concerns about the security of AI chatbot platforms. Around the same time, ChatGPT was banned in Italy for not complying with the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Accordingly, Italian regulators said that AI chatbots violated privacy laws, highlighting the risk of data leakage on the platform. Although the ban was later lifted and companies increased security measures, this incident still shows that potential security vulnerabilities have not been thoroughly addressed.

To protect your credentials, never share them with AI chatbots, even if you need troubleshooting support. Instead, use dedicated password managers or follow your organization’s secure IT protocols to securely reset and manage passwords.

5. Information about residence and other personal data

Similar to other social media and online platforms, you should never share any personally identifiable information (PII) with AI chatbots. PII includes sensitive data such as location, national identification number, date of birth or health information, which can be used to identify or locate you.

For example, accidentally mentioning your home address when asking AI chatbots to suggest nearby services could put you at risk. If this data is leaked or stolen, it could be used by bad actors to steal your identity or locate you in real life. Similarly, oversharing on AI-powered platforms could lead you to reveal more personal information than you would like.

In summary, AI chatbots bring many benefits to users, but they also pose significant privacy risks. Protecting personal data when using platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Claude, or any other AI chatbot is not complicated. Just take a moment to think about the possible consequences if the information you share is exposed. This consideration will help you know what to share and what to keep private.