If you’re pouring your heart out to ChatGPT about personal struggles or emotional issues, you might want to pause and consider what OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman recently shared. While AI can offer helpful responses and support, it’s not legally bound to protect your private conversations like a licensed therapist or doctor would be.
Speaking on a recent episode of This Past Weekend with Theo Von, Altman opened up about the challenges the AI industry faces when it comes to privacy — especially in deeply personal conversations. He pointed out a significant gap: there’s currently no legal framework guaranteeing confidentiality between users and AI systems like ChatGPT.
“People tell ChatGPT incredibly personal things — everything from relationship issues to mental health concerns,” Altman noted. “Young people, especially, are using it asa kind of digital therapist or life advisor. But if you were talking to a human professional, those conversations would be protected under doctor-patient or attorney-client privilege. That legal protection doesn’t exist for AI chatbots yet.”
This lack of legal protection could become a serious concern in the event of a lawsuit. If requested by a court, companies like OpenAI could be compelled to hand over chat logs, unless users are on a more secure platform like ChatGPT Enterprise.
Altman admitted, “I think that’s messed up. We need to treat private AI conversations with the same level of confidentiality as those with a therapist or lawyer. But nobody really had to think about that before AI became this widespread.”
Privacy concerns aren’t just theoretical. OpenAI is currently appealing a court order related to its ongoing legal battle with The New York Times, which would require them to preserve chats from millions of users — with exceptions only for enterprise users. The company labelled the demand as an “overreach” and warned that granting such access could set a troubling precedent, making AI conversations fair game in legal and law enforcement investigations.
This isn’t the first time digital privacy has come under the spotlight. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, many users turned to encrypted health apps or platforms like Apple Health that offered stronger data protection.
Altman also asked Theo Von about his own usage of ChatGPT. Von admitted he was hesitant due to privacy worries — a sentiment Altman said was perfectly reasonable. “Until there’s legal clarity around privacy, I understand why people are cautious,” he said.
In short, while AI might feel like a trusted digital confidante, it’s not yet a legally protected one. As AI continues to grow in influence, expect the conversation around digital privacy to only get louder.
